Abstract P284: Higher Bitter Taste Perception is Associated With Lower Diabetes Risk Among Older Adults With Metabolic Syndrome - The PREDIMED-PLUS Trial

Abstract

Background: Beyond taste perception, taste receptors in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract have been linked to the regulation of energy balance, endocrine function and glucose homeostasis. Despite this, little is known about the relationship between perception for the 5 tastes (sweet, salt, sour, bitter and umami) and diet-related chronic disease risk. Objective: To investigate the association between perception for the 5 tastes and diabetes status. Methods: A cross-sectional baseline analysis was performed on older (55-75 years), overweight (BMI, ≥27-<40) adults diagnosed with metabolic syndrome who were participating in the PREDIMED-PLUS Valencia trial (N=367). Taste perception was measured by challenging participants with standard solutions representing sweet, salt, sour, bitter and umami (400 mM sucrose, 200 mM NaCl, 34 mM citric acid, 5.6 mM phenylthiocarbamide [PTC], 200 mM monopotassium glutamate, respectively) and was evaluated on a 0-5 unit scale. Diabetes status was determined by self-reported clinical diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression models that included all 5 tastes were used to test the association between taste perception and diabetes status. Results: The prevalence of diabetes in this cohort was 38%. Compared to individuals without diabetes, individuals with diabetes had significantly lower bitter taste perception (unadjusted means: 1.6 versus 1.1 units, respectively) (t-test p<0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, physical activity, BMI and medication use, a 1 unit increase in bitter taste perception was associated with a 42% lower odds of being diagnosed with diabetes (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.58; 95% CI = [0.38, 0.84], p<0.001). Although mean perceptions for sweet, salt, sour and umami were also lower in individuals with diabetes, the associations did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Among older adults with metabolic syndrome, higher bitter taste perception was associated with lower odds of being diagnosed with diabetes. Further investigations are warranted to confirm these observations and to determine whether bitter taste receptors may provide a possible therapeutic target for diabetes prevention and treatment.