title: Blood pressure relates to sodium taste sensitivity and discrimination in adolescents.
abstract: To investigate salt perception and discrimination and their possible association with blood pressure (BP), 72 healthy adolescents (42 boys) aged 9-21 years (mean 16.1 years) were studied. BP was measured with a standardized technique. Anthropometric measurement and conventional renal function tests were performed. Sensitivity tests to recognize the presence of salt when given simultaneously distilled/deionized water and a low sodium concentration water solution, and discrimination tests consisting of six graded samples of different saline solutions presented in randomized order were used to assess individual gustatory sensitivity. Average systolic BP values were 113.2+/-1.6 mmHg in boys and 109.6+/-1.9 mmHg in girls. Mean threshold level for salt sensitivity was 4.55+/-0.6 mmol/l. Systolic BP and salt sensitivity showed a significant correlation ( r=-0.33, P<0.01) even when adjusting for weight. Discrimination score was correlated with salt sensitivity ( r=0.27, P<0.05). There is a significant association between gustatory perception and BP in Spain adolescents, although a real cause-effect relationship has not been established.
authors.affiliation: Section of Pediatric Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain. smalaga@correo.uniovi.es
authors.forename: Serafín
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Málaga
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arguelles
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perillán
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Málaga
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vijande
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002648:Child; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D013652:Taste Threshold / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary