Effect of Aging on Stimulated Salivary Flow in Adults

Abstract

The literature on the effect of age on saliva production, which has implications for health, quality of life, differential diagnosis, and case management, remains inconclusive. Physiological changes, motor and sensory, are frequently reported with increasing age. It was hypothesized that there would be a change in saliva production with older age. Whole stimulated saliva was collected by asking participants to chew gauze for 1 minute and then comparing the weight of saliva produced according to age and sex. Data were collected in activity centers for older adults, workplaces, universities, and participants' homes. Five hundred forty healthy individuals (aged 20-97) in three age groups (young = 20-30; middle-aged = 40-50; older ≥ 70) participated (90 men and 90 women in each group). A decrement in saliva production was identified for age in that the young and older participants and the middle-aged and older participants differed significantly from each other, but no difference was found between the young and middle-aged participants. The main effect of sex was not significant, nor was the interaction of age and sex. The results have implications for research and clinical work, including the differential diagnosis and subsequent management of salivary flow impairment due to age or underlying medical diagnosis or treatment. The assessment tool is easily administered and inexpensive and lends itself to use in many different clinical and research settings by different professionals.

How are macronutrient intake, BMI, ethnicity, age, and gender related to the composition of unstimulated saliva? A case study

“…Our results show that unstimulated saliva flow rate was approximately 32% higher for male subjects ( p < .01; η 2 = 0.130) and decreased with age (subjects aging 71–80 years had approximately 52% lower flow rate than subjects aging 31–40 years) ( p < .01; η 2 = 0.262). Ben‐Aryeh et al () did not observed effects of gender and age (young adults: n = 39, average age: 37 years and elderly adults: n = 39, average age: 66 years) on the flow rates of whole and parotid saliva (both resting and stimulated), while Smith et al () reported a significant lower secretion of stimulated whole saliva in elderly adults ( n = 180, ≥70 years) in comparison to young ( n = 180, 20–30 years) and middle‐aged ( n = 180, 40–50 years) adults. No differences in saliva flow rate between young and middle‐aged adults nor between males and females were observed (Smith et al, ).…”

Salivary hypofunction: An update on aetiology, diagnosis and therapeutics

“…78,79 Yeh et al 80 identified a reduction in the SFR of elderly, even those not using systemic drugs, suggesting a relation between salivary dysfunction and ageing. Smith et al 71 investigated whole stimulated saliva and demonstrated that healthy adults aged 70 and older had lower levels of salivary flows than younger adults (<50).…”

“…While some authors have demonstrated impaired glandular function, others have not found salivary dysfunctions in the healthy and non-users of drugs elderly. [71][72][73][74][75][76][77] According to Tylenda et al 74 , ageing leads to the loss of about 30% of acinar cells, with substitution of secretory components by fibrous and adipose tissue. Ghezzi and Ship 75 found that after the use of an anticolinergic drug, glandular function is more affected in the elderly than in young individuals.…”

Salivary Flow Rates of Nigerian Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Case-control Study

“…Although association between salivary flow rate and age has been widely reported, 24 Smith et al, 25 however, reported no association. Likewise, the present study which showed reduction in salivary flow as the age increases also showed with logistic regression for sex and age that the net effects effect of age and sex in accounting for reduced salivary flow was found to be statistically insignificant.…”