title: Comparison of salt taste thresholds and salt usage behaviours between adults in Myanmar and Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Excessive oral salt intake can induce hypertension. According to previous studies, the prevalence of hypertension is higher in Myanmar than in Korea. We postulated that Myanmar adults had higher salt taste thresholds and eat much saltier food. This study aimed to compare salt taste thresholds and salt usage behaviour scores between adults in Myanmar and Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study enrolled patients who visited volunteer medical service clinics at Ansung in Korea and Hlegu and Bago in Myanmar in August 2014. We measured the vital signs, heights, and weights of each patient and evaluated detection thresholds, recognition thresholds, and salt preferences. All patients underwent urinalysis and spot urine Na tests. Additionally, they each completed a salt usage behaviour questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 131 patients were enrolled, including 64 Myanmarese patients and 67 Korean patients. Blood pressure was significantly higher in the Myanmarese than in the Koreans. Detection and recognition thresholds, salt preferences, and spot urine sodium and salt usage behaviour scores were also higher in the Myanmarese than in the Korean subjects. We calculated correlation coefficients between systolic blood pressure and parameters that were related to salt intake. The detection and recognition thresholds were significantly correlated with systolic blood pressure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All parameters related to salt intake, including detection and recognition thresholds, salt preference, salt usage behaviour scores and spot urine sodium concentrations, are significantly higher in Myanmarese than in Korean individuals.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyungjin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Jeju National University Hospital, Jeju, Korea.
authors.forename: So Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seong Su
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. Email: sbkim@amc.seoul.kr.
authors.forename: Soon Bae
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D002052:Myanmar / Q000453:epidemiology; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012964:Sodium / Q000652:urine; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013652:Taste Threshold
chemical_list: D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D012964:Sodium