Taste Dysfunction and its Relationship to HbA1C Level and Disease Duration in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Autonomic Neuropathy

Abstract

Background and Aim: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) effect quality of life very much and causes variouscomplications. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) is one of the common complications in diabetes. Thuspresent study was aimed at determining taste dysfunction in a population of T2DM subjects and its correlation with HbA1c level.Material and Methods: This was an observational cross sectional study which was carried over a period of one year in the department of medicine, Tertiary care institute of India. The 100 patients of T2DM with autonomicneuropathy and 100 healthy controls were taken for the study. Autonomic neuropathy was assessed clinically.Chemical taste test using four solutions of basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter) were done.Results: There was a significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of HbA1c (%) (p≤0.05), with the median HbA1c (%) being highest in the chemical taste dysfunction: sweet: yes group. Strength of association (Point- Biserial correlation)=0.49. There was a significant difference between the various groups in terms of distribution of chemical taste dysfunction: Sweet (p≤0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of duration of T2DM (years) (p>0.05).Conclusion: The study found a significant correlation between taste dysfunction and HbA1C level and bloodsugar fasting level in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Alteration in taste was mainly for sweet. Sour, and bitter did not show any difference in case groups compared to controls.