Sugar intake, taste changes and dental health in Crohn's disease.
BACKGROUND
An increased intake of sucrose has been reported in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Since subclinical zinc deficiency reduces taste perception for sweet, we investigated taste perception, sucrose intake and plasma zinc levels as well as dental status in CD patients.


METHODS
Carbohydrate intake and plasma zinc levels were assessed in 24 CD patients and 24 age-matched controls (Con). Taste threshold for sucrose, oral hygiene and caries prevalence were evaluated.


RESULTS
In CD a higher sucrose intake (CD 107.1 +/- 27.7 vs. Con 71.9 +/- 13.7 g/day; p < 0.001), a higher taste threshold for sweet (CD 7.31 vs. Con 2.91 g/l; p < 0.001) and lower plasma zinc levels (CD 11.5 +/- 1.5 vs. Con 13.5 +/- 2.0 micromol/l; p < 0.001) were found. API was poor (CD 85.4 +/- 23.6, Con 31.8 +/- 24.1, p < 0.001) and correlated with sucrose intake (p < 0.01). Caries prevalence was increased in patients with longer disease (>3 years) (DMFT index: >3 years 15.6 +/- 5.7 vs. <3 years 9.5 +/- 4.3; p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Dental status in CD patients is poor. Both increased sugar consumption and insufficient oral hygiene seem to cause the higher caries prevalence. Obviously, patients with CD belong to a high-risk group, and preventive measures should be taken early in the course of the disease.
Medizinische Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Endokrinologie, Universitätsklinikum Charité Campus Mitte, Berlin, Deutschland. elke-tatjana.schuetz@charite.de
Tatjana
T
Schütz
Clemens
C
Drude
Erika
E
Paulisch
Klaus-Peter
KP
Lange
Herbert
H
Lochs
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D015995:Prevalence; D013649:Taste; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*
D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D015032:Zinc