Xerostomia in survivors of severe COVID-19: findings from a Latin American cohort

Objectives SARS-CoV-2 primary affects the respiratory tract; however, evidence suggests the oral cavity can be involved in severe COVID-19 survivors. This study investigates factors associated with xerostomia in severe COVID-19 survivors from a Latin American cohort. Materials and methods A prospective multicenter study from the Latin American Registry of Cardiovascular Disease and COVID-19, analyzed data on 272 severe COVID-19 patients from 7 institutions in 5 countries (Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Argentina, and Paraguay). Long-term follow-up assessed demographics characteristics, comorbidities, lifestyle, cardiovascular complications, and oral health. Logistic regression in R software identified factors associated with xerostomia. Results Xerostomia was reported in 20.6% of patients. Among affected individuals, 53.6% were female, while women represented 35.6% of those without the condition. In the overall cohort, the most common comorbidities were overweight/obesity (57.0%), hypertension (55.9%), and dyslipidemia (32.0%). Patients with xerostomia had higher rates of dyslipidemia (48.2% vs. 27.8%) and asthma/COPD (16.1% vs. 4.2%) compared to the group without xerostomia. In multivariable logistic regression, asthma/COPD (aOR: 5.14; 95% CI: 1.76–15.7), palpitations (aOR: 2.47; 95% CI: 1.04–5.94), and chest pain (aOR: 3.74; 95% CI: 1.67–8.43) were independently associated with xerostomia. Conversely, male sex was associated with lower odds of reporting xerostomia (aOR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.24–0.89). Conclusion These findings underscore the need for clinicians to actively assess oral health symptoms such as xerostomia in post-COVID care, particularly in patients with cardiopulmonary comorbidities and persistent systemic symptoms.