Loss of taste-induced hypertension — caveat for taste modulation as a therapeutic option in obesity

Abstract

Effective treatment of obesity is extremely difficult, and taste modulation has been suggested as a feasible option. We aim at presenting dangers associated with stroke-induced taste impairment. A case report is presented with clinical and laboratory findings. We review literature on the effect of taste modulation on body weight. Eight months after suffering stroke, a 63-year old obese woman with a nine year-old history of type 2 diabetes reported headache and poor general feeling. Physical examination revealed significantly elevated blood pressure of 190/110 mmHg. The patient had never had elevated blood pressure before nor ever been taking any antihypertensive medication. However, stroke resulted in severe persisting dysgeusia. We found out that she had been using up to 110 g of salt daily to make her meals palatable. Standard gustatory tests confirmed severe taste impairment, reflecting the lesion of the glossopharyngeal nerve. Taste loss was not associated with body weight reduction. Limiting daily salt intake to 5 g within 4 weeks resulted in lowering blood pressure to 120/70 mmHg. Stroke-induced dysgeusia may lead to increased salt intake in a type 2 diabetes patient, which caused development of severe hypertension. The taste loss did not yield any weight reduction. We suggest that aiming at reducing body weight by means of taste modulation should be done with caution. Physicians must be aware that patients may try to overcome dysgeusia by additional salt intake, if not adequately informed of the risk thereof.