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[Taste sensitivity diminution in hyperglycemic type 2 diabetics patients]
Rafael Bustos-Saldaña1, Martín Alfaro-Rodríguez, María de la Luz Solís-Ruiz
1Hospital General de Zona con Unidad de Medicina Familiar 9, Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco, México. rafaelb@cusur.udg.mx
Revista Medica Del Instituto Mexicano Del Seguro Social
|June 17, 2010
Summary
High blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes patients impair sweet taste perception. This occurs in a dose-dependent manner, affecting taste thresholds even without neuropathy.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Science
Context:
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia.
- Peripheral neuropathy (PNP) is a common complication of DM2, affecting sensory perception.
- The impact of hyperglycemia on gustatory sensitivity in DM2 patients without PNP is not fully understood.
Purpose:
- To investigate the association between fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels and alterations in taste sensitivity.
- To assess changes in detection and recognition taste thresholds for the four primary tastes in DM2 patients without PNP.
Summary:
- FBG values exceeding 7.77 mmol/L (140 mg/dL) were linked to increased detection and recognition thresholds for sweetness.
- Higher FBG levels (above 16.65 mmol/L or 300 mg/dL) did not further diminish sweet taste acuity.
- Significant differences in sucrose taste thresholds were observed between well-controlled and poorly controlled diabetic groups compared to normoglycemic individuals.
Impact:
- Hyperglycemia induces a concentration-dependent impairment of sweet taste perception in DM2 patients.
- This sensory alteration is attributed to the adaptation of taste receptor cells to elevated glucose levels.
- Findings suggest that taste dysfunction, specifically for sweetness, can occur in DM2 independently of neuropathy.
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