Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Does The Duration Of Type 2 Diabetes Correlate With Changes In Taste Deficits?, Ann T. Mclaughlan

PCOM Biomedical Studies Student Scholarship

The loss of insulin sensitivity in Type 2 diabetes interferes with cellular utilization of glucose. The underlying down-regulation of insulin receptors and the resulting insulin resistance is wide-spread throughout the body. The cardiovascular consequences may be indirectly responsible for decreased taste sensitivity because of diminished perfusion of the taste buds in this patient population. This study utilized an inexpensive, non-invasive technique, electrogustometry, to directly stimulate the taste buds by applying a variable, direct-current stimulus to measure taste receptor thresholds in newly-diagnosed ( < 2 years) and long-standing diagnosed (> 6 years) male and female Type 2 diabetes mellitus subjects. Taste thresholds were elicited by application of an …