The International Tinnitus Journal

Gustometry of Diabetes Mellitus Patients and Obese Patients

The sensation of adequate taste detection can be associated with satisfaction of food intake. The impairment of taste detection may be associated with the development of obesity. Taste detection is determined hereditarily, but it can be influenced also by the occurrence of neuropathy. To find an explanation for these phenomena, we investigated 73 patients with diabetes mel1itus (OM) 2 (i.e., non-insulin-dependent OM); II patients with OM 1 (i.e., insulin- dependent OM); 12 obese patients (body-mass index >30) without OM; and 29 control patients. All subjects underwent electrogustometric examination with Hortmman's electrogustometer. Ouring this examination, we obtained electrical thresholds of taste by stimulating appropriate parts of the tongue. We stimulated the apex, middle, and near tongue radix areas on both sides. The resulting value is the average on the left and right sides of the mentioned areas. We considered a value of less than 40 J.LA to be normaL Values in excess of 100 J.LA are considered as hypogeusia. Values between 40 and 100 J.LA are taken as borderline, and ageusia is in excess of 500 J.LA. According to these criteria, in the OM 2 group, we found 40% of patients with hypogeusia, whereas in the OM I group, we found 33% of patients; 25% of patients were in the obese group. Among normal subjects (people without obesity or OM), no hypogeusia was found. We found ageusia in 5% of patients with OM 2, in 3% of patients with OM I, and in 14% of obese patients. Among normal subjects, we found no ageusia. These results support the hypothesis that diminished taste detection can evoke hyperphagia and later obesity