ABSTRACT
Introduction: Food taste and flavour affect food choice and acceptance, which are essential to maintain good health and quality of life. Reduced circulating zinc levels have been shown to adversely affect the taste, but the efficacy of zinc supplementation to treat disorders of taste remains unclear. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to examine the efficacy of zinc supplementation in the treatment of taste disorders. Methods: We searched four electronic bibliographical databases: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Ovid AMAD, and PubMed. Article bibliographies were also searched, which yielded additional relevant studies. There were no restrictions on the publication date to facilitate the collection and identification of all available and relevant articles published before 7 February 2021. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis according to the PRISMA Statement. This review was registered at PROSPERO and given the identification number CRD42021228461. Results: In total, we included 12 randomized controlled trials with 938 subjects. The intervention includes zinc (sulfate, gluconate, picolinate, polaprezinc, and acetate), and the pooled results of the meta-analysis of subjects with idiopathic and zinc-deficient taste disorder indicate that improvements in taste disorder occurred more frequently in the experimental group compared to the control group (RR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.16, 1.64, p=0.0002). Zinc supplementation appears to confer a greater improvement in taste perception amongst those with chronic renal disease using zinc acetate (overall RR = 26.69, 95% CI = 5.52-129.06, p < 0.0001). The doses are equivalent to 17 mg-86.7 mg of elemental zinc for three to six months. Conclusion: Zinc supplementation is an effective treatment for taste disorders in patients with zinc deficiency, idiopathic taste disorders, and in patients with taste disorders induced by chronic renal failure when given in high doses ranging from 68 to 86.7 mg/d for up to six months.
ABSTRACT
Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are antidiabetic drugs with numerous pleiotropic and positive clinical effects, particularly regarding a reno-cardiovascular protective effect. More recent studies, including from our laboratory, have highlighted some novel anti-inflammatory activity of SGLT-2 inhibitors. This may confer a theoretical advantage in mitigating excessive cytokine production and inflammatory response associated with serious COVID-19 infection. Specifically, earlier research has demonstrated that SGLT-2 inhibitors are associated with a notable decrease in inflammatory indicators, for example, C-reactive protein, ferritin, and interleukin-6. Furthermore, SGLT-2 inhibitors exhibit a favourable impact on the vascular endothelium function; this could pertinence the prophylaxis of the thrombotic issues that arise in SARS-CoV-2. This review provides an overview of the COVID-19 indirect immune response mechanisms impacting the cardiovascular system and the possible effect of SGLT-2 inhibitors on the management of COVID-19.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 Drug Treatment , Inflammation , Sodium-Glucose Transporter 2 Inhibitors , Glucose , Humans , Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use , Inflammation/drug therapy , Inflammation/virology , SARS-CoV-2 , Sodium-Glucose Transporter 2 Inhibitors/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Abstract The changes to inpatient diabetes services brought about as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic may result in long-term improvement to the outcomes of inpatients with diabetes.