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Altered taste sensation in newly-diagnosed NIDDM
P Perros1, T W MacFarlane, C Counsell
1Department of Diabetes, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Diabetes Care
|July 1, 1996
Summary
Newly diagnosed patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) exhibit impaired taste, particularly for glucose. This blunted taste response improves with better glycemic control but is independent of nerve function.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Diabetology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia.
- Gustatory function may be affected in diabetic patients, potentially influencing dietary choices.
- The relationship between glycemic control and taste perception in newly diagnosed NIDDM patients requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate gustatory perception in individuals newly diagnosed with NIDDM.
- To determine if taste alterations in these patients change with improved glycemic control following diet and oral hypoglycemic drug treatment.
Main Methods:
- Taste function, including electrical thresholds and chemical detection/recognition thresholds for various substances (glucose, fructose, salt, urea), was assessed.
- Peripheral and autonomic neural functions were evaluated.
- Dietary habits and oral microbiological flora were analyzed in 20 newly diagnosed NIDDM patients before and after treatment.
- A matched group of 20 non-diabetic controls and 11 patients with long-standing diabetes and neuropathy were included for comparison.
Main Results:
- Newly diagnosed NIDDM patients showed increased electrical taste thresholds and impaired glucose detection/recognition compared to controls.
- The dose-response curve for glucose, measured by visual analogue scale (VAS), was significantly impaired in new NIDDM patients but improved after treatment.
- Taste responses to fructose, salt, and urea were normal in newly diagnosed NIDDM patients.
- Improvements in glycemic control (HbA1c reduction from 12.6% to 8.8%) correlated with taste improvements.
- Somatic and autonomic nerve function measurements did not correlate with taste function.
Conclusions:
- Newly diagnosed NIDDM patients exhibit a specific blunting of taste perception, particularly for glucose.
- This taste abnormality is partially reversible with improved glycemic control.
- The observed taste dysfunction is independent of peripheral or autonomic nerve function.
- The blunted taste response, especially a preference for sweets, may contribute to the exacerbation of hyperglycemia in NIDDM.