The prevalence of xerostomia among e-cigarette or combustible tobacco users: A systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of xerostomia in a healthy population with e-cigarettes and/or combustible tobacco. METHODS: The following electronic databases were searched: Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and Wan-Fang Database, from 1 January 2000 to 20 October 2022. The language was limited to Chinese and English. The data were analyzed using Stata 15.0, and the prevalence of xerostomia in different smokers is reported. RESULTS: A total of 14 studies were included, with a total sample size of 6827 cases. The overall prevalence of xerostomia was 26% (95% CI: 18–35). In the combustible tobacco population, the prevalence of xerostomia was 24% (95% CI: 21–27), while among e-cigarette users it was 33% (95% CI: 18–48). CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence suggests that the prevalence of xerostomia is high in healthy smoking populations. These findings are restricted by the number and quality of the included studies and need to be validated by additional high-quality studies.