The Association Between Taste Impairment and Serum Zinc Concentration in Adult Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to elucidate the association between taste acuity and serum zinc concentration in patients with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS: We enrolled 29 patients who were hospitalized and asked them to attend a 2-week diabetes education program. Fasting blood samples were obtained on the morning of the first day and 2 weeks after hospitalization. The acuity of sweet, salty, sour or bitter taste was evaluated by a filter-paper disc method. Correlations among taste acuity, glycemic control and serum zinc concentration were analyzed using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient.

RESULTS: The following parameters (mean ± standard deviation) were improved after 2 weeks' hospitalization: taste acuity (sweet: 3.5±1.0 to 2.9±1.1; salty: 3.3±1.1 to 2.6±1.0; sour: 3.6±1.2 to 2.7±0.8; and bitter: 3.3±1.3 to 2.7±1.1; all p<0.001); glycemic control (fasting plasma glucose, 9.4±3.0 to 7.1±1.8 mmol/L, and glycoalbumin, 26.3±7.7 to 22.7±5.9 %; both p<0.001); and serum zinc concentration (1.2±0.2 to 1.3±0.2 mmol/L; p<0.001). Sour and bitter taste acuity were significantly associated with serum zinc concentration (sour, r=-0.50, p=0.005; bitter, r=-0.40, p=0.033).

CONCLUSIONS: Glycemic control, serum zinc concentration and taste acuity were improved after the short-duration education program. Sour and bitter taste acuity were significantly associated with serum zinc concentrations.