ABSTRACT
Background: The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its complications pose a challenge to healthcare systems today, with a paucity of research examining the impact of T2DM on gustatory functions, especially in India. Aim and Objective: The objective of this study was to assess gustatory function in T2DM patients with good glycemic control and a disease duration ?5 years and compare it with the findings in normal individuals. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 40, including patients and controls, aged 25–50 years. The Institute’s Ethics Committee clearance was taken, and written informed consent was obtained from the subjects. The evaluation of gustatory function was done using the triple drop test. Different concentrations of tastants were presented to the subjects. Scoring was done on the identification of increasing concentrations from “5” to “1.” Results: Taste scores for sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastants were lesser in diabetic patients. This was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Taste impairment seems to affect diabetic patients relative to healthy controls. This could be an indication of central diabetic neuropathy. Hypogeusia in type 2 diabetic patients may influence the choice of nutrients such as an increased preference for sweet-tasting or salty foods, thus imposing health risks and affecting the quality of life.
ABSTRACT
Resumen Los trastornos del gusto constituyen un grupo de alteraciones relativamente frecuentes en la práctica clínica. Son de etiología diversa, pudiendo afectar la vía gustativa en distintos niveles, manifestándose, clínicamente, con alteraciones cuantitativas y/o cualitativas de la sensibilidad gustativa. En gran parte de los casos se puede lograr un diagnóstico etiológico con una anamnesis adecuada, examen físico y exploraciones complementarias básicas. No obstante, existe poco entendimiento de su patogénesis, así como limitadas opciones terapéuticas, lo que implica la falta de algoritmos de diagnóstico y tratamiento completamente validados. El objetivo de la presente revisión es otorgar una actualización y un abordaje práctico de los trastornos del gusto.
Abstract Taste disorders represent a group of alterations relatively frequent in clinical practice. They have a diverse etiology, and they can affect the gustatory pathway at different levels, clinically manifesting with quantitative/qualitative alterations on taste sensitivity. In most of cases it is possibly to achieve an etiologically diagnosis with appropriate anamnesis, physical exploration, and basic complementary tests. However, their pathogenesis is not well understood, and they have limited therapeutic options, which determines a lack of well-validated diagnosis and treatment algorithms. The objective of this review is to provide and update and a practical approach to taste disorders.
Subject(s)
Humans , Taste Disorders/classification , Taste Disorders/diagnosis , Taste Disorders/etiology , Taste Disorders/therapy , Burning Mouth Syndrome , Ageusia , DysgeusiaABSTRACT
Most patients with taste disorders are usually treated with zinc, but there still remain many untreatable patients, including non-responders and those of advanced age. In this study, we report on three patients with hypogeusia who showed improvement after the administration of Kampo medicine. A 49-year-old female diagnosed with hypogeusia and hyposensation of the oral cavity responded to Oren-gedoku-to. A 43-year-old male diagnosed as having schizophrenia and hypogeusia and a 76-year-old female with idiopathic hypogeusia responded to Saiko-ka-ryukotsu-borei-to. Kampo medicines are considered to normalize zinc-related neuro-transmissions originating in the vallate taste buds. Furthermore, the curative effect of Oren-gedoku-to on inflammation-injured oral cavity membranes, and the psychotropic effect of Saiko-ka-ryukotsu-borei-to on improving hypogeusia, were shown in our patients. It should be noted that the recent increase in aged patients complaining of taste disorders might be related to aging-associated depression. Saiko-ka-ryukotsu-borei-to or related Kampo formulations are considered to have wide applications for depressed or aged patients with hypogeusia.