title: Impact of primary Sjogren's syndrome on smell and taste: effect on quality of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of abnormal smell and taste perception in people with primary SS and the effect on quality of life (QoL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight participants with SS and 37 controls were enrolled in a cohort-matched, prospective, cross-sectional study. Smell and taste thresholds were measured using standardized, validated tests. QoL was assessed by the Short Form 12 (SF-12).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Smell threshold was reduced by 1 point (P = 0.002; 95% CI 0.35, 1.54) and taste threshold was reduced by 3.5 points (P < 0.001; 95% CI 1.80, 5.22) in the SS group compared with controls. The physical and mental components of SF-12 were reduced by 14.2 points (P < 0.001; 95% CI 9.47, 19.02) and 7.5 points (P = 0.002; 95% CI 2.97, 12.02), respectively, in the SS group compared with controls. Taste threshold was significantly correlated with both the physical (r = 0.48; P < 0.001) and the mental (r = 0.30; P = 0.015) components of SF-12. Smell threshold correlated with the physical (r = 0.457; P < 0.001), but not the mental component (r = 0.154; P = 0.222) of SF-12.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinically important impairment of chemosensory perception occurred in the SS group compared with age- and gender-matched controls. Assessment using SF-12 suggests that this impairment contributed to the reduced health-related QoL that characterized these individuals.
authors.affiliation: North West Wales NHS Trust, Bangor University, Bangor, UK.
authors.forename: Usama F
authors.initials: UF
authors.lastname: Kamel
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maddison
authors.forename: Rhiannon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Whitaker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*