title: A case-control study on the relationship between salt intake and salty taste and risk of gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between salt intake and salty taste and risk of gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 1:2 matched hospital based case-control study including 300 patients with gastric cancer and 600 cancer-free subjects as controls. Subjects were interviewed with a structured questionnaire containing 80 items, which elicited information on dietary, lifestyle habits, smoking and drinking histories. Subjects were tested for salt taste sensitivity threshold (STST) using concentrated saline solutions (0.22-58.4 g/L). Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alcohol and tobacco consumption increased the risk of gastric cancer [OR (95% CI) was 2.27 (1.27-4.04) for alcohol and 2.41 (1.51-3.87) for tobacco]. A protective effect was observed in frequent consumption of fresh vegetable and fruit [OR (95% CI) was 0.92 (0.58-0.98) for fresh vegetable and 0.87 (0.67-0.93) for fruit]. Strong association was found between STST ≥ 5 and gastric cancer [OR = 5.71 (3.18-6.72)]. Increased STST score was significantly associated with salted food intake and salty taste preference (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high STST score is strongly associated with gastric cancer risk. STST can be used to evaluate an inherited characteristic of salt preference, and it is a simple index to verify the salt intake in clinic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China.
authors.forename: Wan-Guang
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chuan-Bo
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhi-Xin
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-Pei
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiao-Yuan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Shan-Feng
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Tong-Wen
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055697:Taste Perception; D013652:Taste Threshold
chemical_list: D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary