Effect of menopause hormone therapy and serotonin reuptake inhibitors

Postmenopausal hypoestrogenism may cause significant changes in the oral cavity, interfering with inflammatory mechanisms such as salivary secretion. This study aimed to compare the salivary flow, pH levels and prevalence of dry mouth in postmenopausal women treated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), those treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and those without treatment.

Ninety postmenopausal women participated in the study. Of these, 30 used HRT, 30 used SSRIs and 30 did not receive any treatment (control). Salivary flow was measured using stimulated sialometry, while the pH level was measured using pH strips. Meanwhile, a questionnaire was used to assess for xerostomia.

The salivary flow measurements were 1.66 ± 0.49 ml/min for the HRT group, 1.23 ± 0.50 ml/min for the SSRI group and 1.68 ± 0.65 ml/min for the control group (p = 0.005 for comparison). The pH values were 7.13 ± 0.43, 7.0 ± 0.26 and 6.97 ± 0.41 for the HRT, SSRI and control groups, respectively. Xerostomia was reported in 60% of women receiving HRT, 46.7% receiving SSRIs and 26.7% of the controls (p = 0.033).

Women using SSRIs had lower salivary flow than the HRT or control group. However, xerostomia was more prevalent in women receiving HRT.