抄録
BACKGROUND: No studies have reported subclinical hypogeusia in the general community. Therefore, we investigated the relation between subclinical hypogeusia and several lifestyle diseases.
METHODS: The study population consisted of 515 patients (191 men, 324 women; mean age, 71 years old; age range, 21 to 97 years) who were referred to the Department of Internal Medicine at Kashima and Nagahama Hospital. Taste function was measured using a paper impregnated with salt crystals, Salsave®.
RESULTS: Subclinical hypogeusia was present in 102 of the 515 patients; this group had a mean age of 78.9 years old and an age range of 48 to 95 years old. Statistical analyses indicated that the frequency and severity of subclinical hypogeusia is significantly higher in men (p=0.001), in the aged (p=0.004), in patients using numerous medications (p=0.005), in hypertensive patients (p=0.005), and in diabetic patients (p<0.001). However, hyperlipidemia (p=0.84) and hyperuricemia (p=0.16) were not significantly associated with subclinical hypogeusia. Thirteen (46.4%) of the 28 patients in the chronic heart failure group had subclinical hypogeusia. The frequency and severity of subclinical hypogeusia were significantly greater in the chronic heart failure group than in the hypertension group or in the diabetic-hypertension group (p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Taste acuity is partially impaired in men, in the aged, in patients using numerous medications, in hypertensive patients, and in diabetic patients. Our results suggest that subclinical hypogeusia should be recognized as a common disease with older people in the general community.
