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[Taste in healthy subjects. Influence of alcohol and tobacco consumption].

To define the factors which may affect gustatory function, 42 healthy subjects, without any apparent taste disorder were randomly selected and investigated by electro-gustometry and chemical gustometry. A deterioration in taste discrimination was noted in drinkers in comparison with non-drinkers, both on electro-gustometry, mean threshold (SEM: 88.0 +/- 26.5 versus 47.4 +/- 7.3 microA; p less than 0.05), and also on chemical gustometry (15.1 +/- 2.1 versus 17.4 +/- 0.7; p = 0.05) and also in smokers compared with non smokers (mean of electrical thresholds SEM 104.2 +/- 22.8 versus 38.3 +/- 5.2 microA; p less than 0.01, mean of chemical scores SEM 14.3 +/- 1.1 versus 17.9 +/- 0.9; p less than 0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated the influence of the two factors alcohol and tobacco on taste, evaluated by electrogustometry (R2 = 0.36) or chemical gustometry (R2 = 0.28). These results suggest that alcohol and tobacco are liable to influence gustatory function in healthy subjects thereby suggesting that this influence should be taken into account using a corrective factor.

Adult

Initial otolaryngologic assessment of patients with taste and smell disorders.

Patients are often referred to otolaryngologists to evaluate dysfunctions of taste or smell. A history and physical examination focused on signs and symptoms of chemosensory disorders, in combination with screening tests for taste and smell function, can quickly and easily delineate the general type and cause of the dysfunction. Several centers for chemosensory disorders referred to in this issue are available for referral to patients who need detailed testing and evaluation. Although treatment options for most taste and smell dysfunctions are limited, by categorizing disorders, we can give the patient an idea of the probable cause and prognosis of the dysfunction.

Humans

Factors related to the electric taste threshold in type 1 diabetic patients.

To specify the factors related to taste function in Type 1 diabetes mellitus, 50 diabetic out-patients and 50 control subjects paired for age and sex were screened for taste disorders. None of them consumed significant amounts of alcohol, smoked, or had disease or took drugs capable of altering taste. Taste was studied with electrogustometry, retinopathy was detected by fluorescein angiography, nephropathy by measurement of albuminuria and microalbuminuria, peripheral neuropathy by electroneurography and electromyography, and autonomic neuropathy by cardiovascular function tests. The electrogustometric threshold was, on average, significantly higher in the diabetic group (133 +/- 30 microA) than in the control group (29 +/- 9 microA; p less than 0.001). Electric hypogeusia (electrogustometric threshold greater than 100 microA) was found among 54% of the diabetic patients vs 2% of the control subjects (p less than 0.001). In the diabetic group, the electrogustometric threshold was associated with complications of diabetes, especially with peripheral neuropathy (210 +/- 24 vs 90 +/- 22 microA; p less than 0.001) and microalbuminuria (185 +/- 25 vs 86 +/- 21 microA; p less than 0.01). It was correlated with age (r = 0.37; p less than 0.01) and duration of diabetes (r = 0.52; p less than 0.001) but not with HbA1c (r = -0.04). Using multivariate analysis, duration of diabetes and peripheral neuropathy had the strongest association with taste impairment. These results support previous findings, suggesting that taste impairment is a degenerative complication of diabetes mellitus.

Adult

Clinical characteristics of taste and smell disorders.

Chemosensory problems can have major consequences for those patients who develop them. Although more than 200 conditions and 40 medications have been linked to taste and smell disorders, for most patients the cause will fall into one of the following categories: nasal/sinus disease, idiopathic, postviral URI, and head trauma. Careful attention to clinical characteristics will aid immensely in the diagnosis. Parosmias, dysgeusias and the burning mouth syndrome are symptoms that deserve special consideration.

Chemoreceptor Cells

[Post-influenza parageusia].

A case of postinfluenzal qualitative taste disorders lasting over two years was described. After short treatment subjective symptoms subsided completely and the results of the gustometric tests normalized themselves.

Adult

Early detection of diabetic patients at risk of developing degenerative complications using electric gustometry: a five-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: Taste impairment has been reported during the course of diabetes. Although a degenerative mechanism has been suspected, the natural history of taste disorders in diabetes remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe the five-year evolution of electric gustometry in diabetic patients compared to healthy control subjects and with reference to degenerative complications of the disease. METHODS: Electrogustometry was studied initially and after 5 years in 73 diabetic out patients and 25 control subjects. None of them had any known cause of taste impairment other than diabetes. Diabetic patients and control subjects did not differ for demographic data and confounding factors. RESULTS: After five years, the electrogustometric threshold (EGT) significantly increased (51 +/- 6 vs 95 +/- 11 microA; p < 0.001), whereas slight changes occurred in control subjects (23 +/- 4 vs 25 +/- 5 microA; NS). Frequency of electric hypogeusia (EGT > or = 100 microA) increased from 11 to 46% in diabetic patients (p < 0.001), but did not vary in control subjects (4%). EGT was not strongly associated with individual factors such as blood pressure, tobacco and alcohol consumption, but correlated with age (p < 0.001). In the diabetic group, higher EGT were observed in patients treated with insulin (p < 0.001). EGT and its changes were associated with degenerative complication (p < 0.001), but neither with metabolic control, nor with duration of diabetes. Using multivariate analyses, the strongest associations were found with peripheral neuropathy and microalbuminuria (28 to 45% of variance explained; p < 0.001). The predictive value of initial hypogeusia on neuropathy at follow-up was 88% for a positive test and 63% for a negative one. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the taste nerves transduction function is impaired during the course of diabetes. This impairment is associated with an increased occurrence of degenerative complications, leading to suspect a similar pathophysiological mechanism. Electric gustometry could be an interesting test for early screening for diabetes complications.

Adolescent

Abnormalities of taste sensation in cancer patients.

In fifty patients with cancer, subjective and objective correlates of anorexia of malignancy were studied. Decreased taste was reported by 25 patients, and an aversion for meat was reported by 16 patients. The decreased taste symptom correlated with an elevated taste threshold for sweet (sucrose), and the symptom of meat aversion correlated with a lowered taste threshold for bitter (urea). The likelihood of having a taste abnormality increased with increasing extent of disease, but not with histologic type of neoplasm. Patients with an abnormality of taste had an increased incidence of weight loss compared with patients with normal taste, even though many in the latter group had other causes of weight loss. These observations suggest that an abnormality of taste may be one determinant of the anorexia of malignancy. Better understanding of the anorexia in the cancer patient may contribute to the care of the patient.

Adult

Posthypophysectomy taste abnormalities: their relationship to remote effects of cancer.

Abnormalities in taste sensation have been studied in 15 patients consisting of five normal controls, five patients with diffuse neoplasm and five patients post hypophysectomy. Threshold recognition for salt and HC1 in the three groups studied was the same. Sucrose and urea recognition was higher in patients with neoplasm as compared to normal controls. Patients post hypophysectomy had a lower threshold recognition for sucrose than both normal individuals and patients with neoplasm. The threshold recognition has markedly shifted for both sucrose (decreased) and urea (increased) post hypophysectomy. These observations are in support of previous findings and suggest that the pituitary plays at least a necessary permissible factor in the development of abnormalities in taste as observed in patients with disseminated cancer.

Breast Neoplasms

Loss of taste in the elderly: sex differences.

The sensation of taste was tested in 280 normal people of all ages and both sexes. The sensitivity for the basic tastes decreased with increasing age, but more in men than in women; there was no sex difference in people under the age of 40. The different smoking habits of men and women did not explain this finding. It is suggested that there is a sex-specific decrease in the taste sensitivity with aging.

Adolescent

[Nutrition in the elderly].

It is well known that nutrition plays an important role in the maintenance of health through the whole life. Especially, nutrition in the elderly is thought to be necessary for keeping their life comfortable. How much calories should be needed in the elderly? In our country, daily allowance of total calories is 1600 kcal in male and 1400 kcal in female in seventh decade respectively. 1460 kcal in male and 1270 kcal in female over eighty years old are recommended respectively. Protein requirement is about 0.6 g/kg of body weight. Fat should be kept as it is. Vitamin and mineral are the another important factors. We investigated the levels of serum vitamin B1 (B1) and B12 (B12) in 26 elderly out-patients. B1 and B12 are within normal ranges and there is no tendency to decline with age. Serum Zinc (Zn) is one of microelements and its deficiency is thought to cause the taste disorder. In 126 male subjects, Zn decreased significantly with aging. Zn correlated with serum total protein and albumin. There exists some discrepancy in the food habits between the old and the young: Dietary habits is Japanese style in the former and Western one in the latter. Recently as the old people are increasing in population, those who complain of difficulty in swallowing food are also increasing. In these cases, we should apply the artificial feeding such as central venous hyperalimentation, nasogastric and gastro-fistula feeding, etc. And ratio of these artificial food intake will increase in the near future.

Aged