Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T13:36:29.594Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Causative factors of taste disorders in the elderly, and therapeutic effects of zinc

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 June 2007

M Ikeda ,
A Ikui ,
A Komiyama ,
D Kobayashi  and
M Tanaka
M Ikeda*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
A Ikui
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
A Komiyama
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
D Kobayashi
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
M Tanaka
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Minoru Ikeda, Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchi-kamimachi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan. Fax: +81 3 3972 1321 E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives:

To determine the characteristics of causative factors of taste disorders amongst the elderly, and to examine the therapeutic effect of a zinc agent, taking into account age-related factors.

Subjects:

A total of 408 patients with taste disorders were divided into three groups by age: 49 years or younger, 50 to 64 years old, and 65 years or older.

Results:

The incidence of taste disorders caused by drug administration and systemic disease were significantly higher in the elderly group. A serum zinc concentration of 69 µg/dl or lower was found in 33 per cent of the elderly group, significantly more (p < 0.001) than the 19 per cent of the 49 years or younger group with such a concentration. Zinc administration was therapeutically effective in 70 per cent of the whole population studied, and in 74 per cent of the elderly population.

Conclusions:

In the elderly, the incidence of taste disorders caused by drug administration or systemic disease was significantly greater compared with other age groups. The curative effects of zinc administration were not observed to be influenced by age.

Keywords

TasteAgedZinc
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 122 , Issue 2 , February 2008 , pp. 155 - 160
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Deems, DA, Doty, RL, Settle, RG, Moore-Gillon, V, Shaman, P, Mester, AF et al. Smell and taste disorders, a study of 750 patients from the University of Pennsylvania Smell and Taste Center. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1991;117:519–28CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2 Hamada, N, Endo, S, Tomita, H. Characteristics of 2278 patients visiting the Nihon University Hospital Taste Clinic over a 10-year period with special reference to age and sex distribution. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl 2002;546:7–15Google Scholar
3 Grzegorczyk, PK, Jones, SW, Mistretta, CM. Age-related differences in salt taste acuity. J Gerontol 1979;34:834–40CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4 Schiffman, SS. Taste and smell losses in normal aging and disease. JAMA 1997;278:1357–62Google Scholar
5 Hoffman, H, Ishii, EK, Macturk, RH. Age-related changes in the prevalence of smell/taste problems among the United States adult population. Results of the 1994 Disability Supplement to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Ann N Y Acad Sci 1998;855:716–22Google Scholar
6 Henkin, RI, Bradley, DF. Hypogeusia corrected by Ni++ and Zn++. Life Sci 1970;9:701–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7 Yoshida, S, Endo, S, Tomita, H. A double-blind study of the therapeutic efficacy of zinc gluconate on taste disorder. Auris Nasus Larynx 1991;18:153–61Google Scholar
8 Sakai, F, Yoshida, S, Endo, S, Tomita, H. Double-blind, placebo controlled trial of zinc picolinate for taste disorders. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl 2002;546:129–33Google Scholar
9 Mahajan, SK, Prasad, AS, Lambujon, J, Abbasi, AA, Briggs, WA, McDonald, FD. Improvement of uremic hypogeusia by zinc: a double-blind study. Am J Clin Nutr 1980;33:1517–21CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10 Ripamonti, C, Zecca, E, Brunelli, C, Fulfaro, F, Villa, S, Balzarini, A et al. A randomised, controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effects of zinc sulfate on cancer patients with taste alterations caused by head and neck irradiation. Cancer 1998;82:1938–453.0.CO;2-U>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11 Tomita, H. Zinc in taste and smell disorders. In: Tomita, H, ed. Trace Elements in Clinical Medicine. Tokyo: Springer-Verlag, 1990;15–37CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12 Pilch, SM, Senti, FR. Analysis of zinc data from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANESII). J Nutr 1985;115:1393–7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13 Burch, RE, Sackin, DA, Ursick, JA, Jetton, MM, Sullivan, JF. Decreased taste and smell acuity in cirrhosis. Arch Intern Med 1978;138:743–6Google Scholar
14 Atkin-Thor, E, Godderd, BW, O'Nion, J, Stephen, RL, Kolff, WJ. Hypogeusia and zinc depletion in chronic dialysis patients. Am J Clin Nutr 1978;31:1948–51CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15 Matsuo, S, Nakamoto, M, Nishihara, G, Yasunaga, T, Matsuo, K, Sakomi, T. Impaired taste acuity in patients with diabetes mellitus on maintenance hemodialysis. Nephron Clin Pract 2003;94:46–50CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16 Solomons, NW, Rosenberg, IH, Sandstead, HH, Vo-Khactu, KP. Zinc deficiency in Crohn's disease. Digestion 1977;16:87–95CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17 Harris, AM, Griffin, SM. Postoperative taste and smell deficit after upper gastrointestinal cancer surgery – an unreported complication. J Surg Oncol 2003;82:147–52Google Scholar
18 Schelling, J, Tetriault, L, Lasaguna, L, Davis, M. Abnormal taste threshold in diabetics. Lancet 1965;i:508–12CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19 Hardy, SL, Brennand, CP, Wyse, BW. Taste thresholds of individuals with diabetes mellitus and of control subjects. J Am Diet Assoc 1981;79:286–9Google Scholar
20 Henkin, RI, Larson, AL, Powell, RD. Hypogeusia, dysgeusia, hyposmia, and dysosmia following influenza-like infection. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1975;84:672–8Google Scholar
21 Tomita, H, Ikeda, M, Okuda, Y. Basis and practice of clinical taste examinations. Auris Nasus Larynx 1986;13 (suppl 1):1–5Google Scholar
22 Ackerman, BH, Kasbaker, N. Disturbances of taste and smell induced by drugs. Pharmacotherapy 1997;17:482–96Google Scholar
23 Wickham, RS, Rehwaldt, M, Kefer, C, Shott, S, Abbas, K, Glynn-Tucker, E et al. Taste changes experienced by patients receiving chemotherapy. Oncol Nurs Forum 1999;26:697–706Google Scholar
24 Itoh, I, Ikui, A, Ikeda, M, Tomita, H, Endo, S. Taste disorder involving Hunter's glossitis following total gastrectomy. Acta Otolaryngol 2002;546:159–63CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25 Onoda, K, Ikeda, M. Gustatory disturbance due to cerebrovascular disorder. Laryngoscope 1999;109:123–8Google Scholar
26 Henkin, RI, Bradley, DF. Regulation of taste acuity by thiols and metal ions. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1969;62:30–7Google Scholar
27 Hasegawa, H, Tomita, H. Assessment of taste disorders in rats by simultaneous study of the two-bottle preference test and abnormal ingesting behavior. Auris Nasus Larynx 1986;13(suppl 1):33–41CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28 Komai, M, Goto, T, Suzuki, H, Takeda, T, Furukawa, Y. Zinc deficiency and taste dysfunction; contribution of carbonic anhydrase, a zinc-metalloenzyme, to normal taste sensation. Biofactors 2000;12:65–70Google Scholar
29 Kobayashi, T, Tomita, H. Electron microscopic observation of vallate taste buds of zinc deficient rats with taste disturbance. Auris Nasus Larynx 1986;13(suppl 1):25–31CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30 Hambidge, KH, Hambidge, C, Jacobs, M, Baum, JD. Low levels of zinc in hair, anorexia, poor growth, and hypogeusia in children. Pediatr Res 1972;6:868–74Google Scholar
31 Henkin, RI, Shechter, PJ, Friedewald, WT, Demets, DL, Raff, M. A double blind study of the effects of zinc sulfate on taste and smell dysfunction. Am J Med Sci 1976;272:285–99Google Scholar
32 Sekimoto, K, Tomita, H. Zinc chelation capacity of hypotensive agents causing taste disturbance. The Nihon University Journal of Medicine 1986;28:233–52Google Scholar
33 Yoshikawa, T. Experimental study on drug-induced taste disorders in rats. The Nihon University Journal of Medicine 1997;39:353–67Google Scholar
34 Vallee, BL, Wacker, WEC, Bartholomay, AF, Hoch, FL. Zinc metabolism in hepatic dysfunction. II. Correlation of metabolic patterns with biochemical findings. New Engl J Med 1957;257:1055–65Google Scholar
35 Sullivan, JF, Jetton, MM, Burch, RE. A zinc tolerance test. J Lab Clin Med 1979;93:485–92Google ScholarPubMed
36 Marumo, F, Tsukamoto, Y, Iwanami, S, Kishimoto, T, Yamagami, S. Trace element concentrations in hair, fingernails and plasma of patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis and hemofiltration. Nephron 1984;38:267–72CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
37 Walter, RM, Uriu-Hare, JY, Olin, KL, Oster, MH, Anawalt, BD, Critchfield, JW et al. Copper, zinc, manganese, and magnesium status and complications of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care 1991;14:1050–6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed