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ASSOCIATION OF ANAEMIA AND XEROSTOMIA IN POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

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Submitted: 2025-12-24; Published: 2025-12-15
CC BY-NC 4.0 This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Abstract

Background: Natural menopause is attained by 12 months of amenorrhea with no pathologic association. Xerostomia,
Anaemia has been linked to unfavourable orofacial complications in menopause. Aim was to analyse the correlation
between xerostomia and anaemia in menopausal women in a private dental hospital.
Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in a Private Dental College and Hospital, Chennai
from the year of January 2019 to July 2024. The population was randomly selected that included females of age 40
years and above. Haemoglobin values, xerostomia grading were done. Chi-square was done to determine the
association of anaemia with xerostomia in menopausal women. Level of significance was set at p<0.05.
Result: Out of the total population it was seen that the highest 42% of females were under post-menopausal stage
followed by 22% in peri-menopausal stage, 21% in menopausal stage and 15% in pre-menopausal stage. Haemoglobin
levels categorized as critical (21.82%), mild (20.00%), moderate (32.73%), and severe (25.45%). Xerostomia across
different menopausal stages, with the highest prevalence in post-menopausal women (41.25%), peri-menopausal and
menopausal women each account for 21.25%. Association between stages of menopause and haemoglobin value in
post-menopausal women showed Pearson Chi-Square value of 16.775 with 9 degrees of freedom (p = 0.052),
indicating it is significant (<0.05). Likelihood Ratio was statistically significant (19.073, p = 0.025).
Conclusion: The study reveals a notable prevalence of anemia and xerostomia, particularly among post-menopausal
women, who also exhibit the highest rates of critical anemia. Given the observed overlap of anemia and xerostomia,
further research is essential to better understand their relationship in post-menopausal women, which could lead to
more effective, integrated treatment strategies.

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