Nutritional characteristics of patients with dry mouth and/or Sjögren disease in a Hungarian cohort.

Background: People with any form of dry mouth may have problems with eating, swallowing, speaking, taste perception, wearing dentures, and maintaining good oral health. Subsequently, it can have a major impact on the quality of life through its effects on the qualitative and quantitative parameters of nutrition. Nevertheless, little is known about the effects of different foods and nutrients on salivation and orofacial sicca symptoms. Despite this, the literature on the relationship between xerostomia (x), hyposalivation (h), Sjögren disease (SD), and nutrition is relatively sparse. Objective: The authors aimed to evaluate the dietary habits of middle-aged patients with newly diagnosed dry mouth and/or SD compared with healthy controls. Methods: A total of 128 participants (10 men and 118 women; mean age: 53 ± 13 years) enrolled in the study. A 35-question questionnaire containing a "computer-assisted personal interview"-type exploratory survey was used to record body mass index (BMI), possible food allergies, harmful habits, used sources of health-related information, and nutritional habits such as frequency and types of daily meals, for example, fruit, vegetable, meat, vitamin, and trace element consumption. Subjective sicca symptoms (xerostomia, xerophthalmia) were also assessed by guided questions, while the unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) flow rate was determined by the spitting method to confirm hyposalivation. SD was diagnosed based on the 2016 ACR-EULAR diagnostic criteria. Participants were divided into four groups: healthy controls (c), xerostomia (x), hyposalivation (h), and SD. Patients' data were compared with those of healthy controls. Results: The mean BMI of the participants did not show a significant difference from the normal BMI, although it was slightly elevated in all four patient groups (c: 24.7; x: 25.4; h: 26.2; SD: 25.2). The smoking percentage was high in the SD group: 49% vs. 18% in the c group ( Conclusions: As a primary outcome of this study, the nutrition of patients with dry mouth and/or SD generally does not differ from the diet of healthy persons, and it is determined by local traditions and availability. The number of daily meals and the pattern of fluid consumption do not vary significantly because of sicca symptoms or SD. A higher incidence of food allergy was reported in patients with dry mouth and/or SD. Affected patients tend to prefer easily swallowable, non-irritant, softer (rice), or high-water content foods such as tomato and paprika, or cold cuts. Patients with dry mouth and/or SD need conscious dietary advice from their family practitioners, dentists, or specialists to alleviate their symptoms, while trustworthy websites and social media may serve as important sources of health information.