Efeitos de uma dieta livre de glúten na qualidade de vida e de sono de mulheres com disfunção temporomandibular: um estudo piloto

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the influence of a gluten-free diet (GFD) on quality of life and sleep in women with Temporomandibular Disorder. Design: 13 women aged between 18 and 55 years diagnosed with myofascial pain according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) were included in the study and underwent 1 month of GFD. The evaluated outcomes were quality of life and quality of sleep, measured, respectively, through the Short-Form 36 and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index questionnaires in their validated versions and translated into Portuguese. Volunteers were also asked to report pain intensity before and after GFD using a verbal numeric scale. The data were submitted to statistical analysis with a significance level of 5% (paired "T" test, Wilcoxon, Fisher's exact test). Results: After 1 month of GFD, the volunteers showed a reduction in pain intensity (T1 = 7.69 ± 1.49; T2 = 4.00 ± 2.6; p = 0.001), improvement in sleep quality (T1 = 8.23 ± 4.02; T2 = 6.15 ± 2.85; p = 0.031) and significant improvement in SF-36 scores related to physical function, bodily pain and vitality. Conclusion: GFD appears to positively impact quality of life and sleep quality in women with TMD, but further studies are needed to assess its real effectiveness as an adjunctive treatment for TMD.