23-LB: A Study of Taste among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Autonomic Neuropathy at a Tertiary Care Centre in North India

Abstract

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a multifactorial, complex disease associated with chronic hyperglycemia, resulting from the interplay of genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors (1) . Diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) is one of the common complication in diabetes. The taste threshold affected by various factors such as age, ethnic backgrounds, drugs, local and systemic diseases, consumption of alcohol, smoking, and tobacco chewing . The present study is undertaken with the objectives to compare the alteration in taste threshold for four primary sensations in Type 2 DM with autonomic neuropathy. Material and methods: 60 patients of T2DM with autonomic neuropathy and 60 healthy control were taken for the study. Autonomic neuropathy were assessed clinically. Chemical taste test using four solutions of basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter) were done. 5 ml sample of each solution was provided whose nature was kept unknown to the subject and asked to hold it there for 5 seconds before spitting the solution into the cup. Result: Out of 60 patients 26 (43.3%) were having taste dysfunction for sweet compared to 12 (20%) out of 60 healthy controls with p value 0.006. Taste dysfunction for sweet was significant in T2DM with uncontrolled hyperglycemia i.e mean HbA1c 10.83+/- 3.17 whereas in T2DM patients whose taste were preserved had mean HbA1c 8.05+/- 1.87 . The taste dysfunction in T2DM patients was not related to gender, disease duration, and type of treatment taken. Conclusion: The study found a significant correlation between taste dysfunction, HbA1C level and blood sugar fasting level in T2DM patients. The taste dysfunction was mainly for sweet. Sour and bitter did not show any difference in case groups compared to controls. Disclosure J. Kushwaha: None. A. Singh: None. R. Giri: None. V. K. Gupta: None.