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Olfactory and gustatory functions in patients with non-complicated type 1 diabetes mellitus

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate any possible relationship between diabetic state and olfactory and gustatory functions in patients with non-complicated diabetes mellitus type 1 (T1D), and also to present evidence of the association between olfactory and gustatory scores and HbA1c values and disease durations. The study included 39 patients with non-complicated T1D and 31 healthy controls. Clinical characteristics such as age, gender, duration of disease, education levels and biochemical analyses (fasting blood glucose, urea, creatinine, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), triglyceride, HbA1c, C-peptide, postprandial blood glucose) were measured. Subjective olfactory and gustatory tests were performed for all participants. There were no significant differences in olfactory tests between the two groups (odor thresholds 8.63 ± 0.91 vs. 8.55 ± 0.57, p = 0.66; odor discrimination 12.97 ± 0.80 vs. 12.74 ± 0.79, p = 0.24; odor identification 13.81 ± 0.98 vs. 13.72 ± 0.89, p = 0.69; TDI score 35.34 ± 1.94 vs. 34.97 ± 1.4, p = 0.37). There were also no significant differences in gustatory tests between the two groups (bitter 3.45 ± 0.51 vs. 3.44 ± 0.50, p = 0.90; sweet 3.32 ± 0.48 vs. 3.38 ± 0.49, p = 0.60; salty 3.13 ± 0.72 vs. 3.10 ± 0.72, p = 0.88; total score of taste 13.16 ± 1.61 vs. 13.13 ± 1.22, p = 0.92). Comparison of gustatory and olfactory scores according to disease duration of type 1 diabetes mellitus patients revealed that there were no differences between groups (all p > 0.05). T1D without complications may not be associated with olfactory and gustatory dysfunction according to subjective testing. We also found that gustatory and olfactory functions may not be related with HbA1c values and disease duration in non-complicated T1D.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Istanbul Surgery Hospital, Taste and smell clinic, Ferah Sok. No: 22 Şişli, Istanbul, P.K., 34365, Istanbul, Turkey

    Aytug Altundag

  2. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Haydarpaşa Training Hospital, Gulhane School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

    Seyid Ahmet Ay, Kamil Baskoy, Ferhat Denız & Arif Yonem

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Tatvan Military Hospital, Erzincan, Turkey

    Serdar Hira

  4. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Haydarpaşa Training Hospital, Gulhane School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

    Murat Salıhoglu

  5. Department of Neurology, Haydarpaşa Training Hospital, Gulhane School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

    Hakan Tekelı

  6. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Erzincan Military Hospital, Erzincan, Istanbul, Turkey

    Onuralp Kurt

  7. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Interdisciplinary Center “Smell & Taste”, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany

    Thomas Hummel

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  1. Aytug Altundag
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  2. Seyid Ahmet Ay
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  4. Murat Salıhoglu
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Correspondence to Aytug Altundag.

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All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Altundag, A., Ay, S.A., Hira, S. et al. Olfactory and gustatory functions in patients with non-complicated type 1 diabetes mellitus. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 274, 2621–2627 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-017-4497-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-017-4497-8

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