Sicca Symptoms and Its Relationship with Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome in Geriatric Patients

Abstract

Objective: Sicca symptoms are frequently observed in geriatric patients, and Sjögren’s syndrome is a prototypic disease associated with sicca symptoms. This study aimed to determine the frequency of sicca symptoms and its relationship with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) in geriatric patients in comparison with young patients. Materials and Methods: This study included 477 patients, with the geriatric group comprising 277 patients aged ≥65 years who were compared to the 200 young patients in the control group. All the subjects were asked questions for the evaluation of sicca symptoms. The Schirmer’s and unstimulated whole salivary flow tests were conducted on all the subjects. The diagnosis of pSS was based on the American-European Consensus Group criteria. Results: The symptoms of dry mouth (33.9% vs. 2%) (p