Taste acuity, plasma zinc levels, and weight loss during radiotherapy: a study of relationships
Thirty-five patients who were to undergo radiotherapy and 13 normal subjects were evaluated with taste questionnaires, taste acuity tests, and plasma zinc analyses. The studies were repeated on the patients in the fifth week of radiotherapy. The mean taste thresholds for NaCl (salt), sucrose (sweet), HCl (sour), and urea (bitter) were elevated and the plasma zinc levels were lower (77.2 +/- 11.8 vs. 94.6 +/- 30.1 g/100 ml, p . 0.055) for the patients than for the controls. However, there was not a significant correlation between the taste thresholds and plasma zinc levels at any time. The mean weight loss experienced by the 14 patients who reported subjective taste alteration in the fifth week was 3.1 kg versus 0.1 kg (p . 0.005) for those who did not report taste alteration. The data suggest that alterations in taste acuity, but not plasma zinc levels, are associated with weight loss during radiotherapy.
- Research Organization:
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Kansas State University, Manhattan
- OSTI ID:
- 6714429
- Journal Information:
- Radiology; (United States), Vol. 144:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
RADIOTHERAPY
SIDE EFFECTS
TASTE BUDS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BIOCHEMISTRY
BLOOD PLASMA
FLAVOR
PATIENTS
PHYSIOLOGY
WEIGHT
ZINC
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
CHEMISTRY
ELEMENTS
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
METALS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES
ORGANS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOLOGY
SENSE ORGANS
THERAPY
560151* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man
550603 - Medicine- External Radiation in Therapy- (1980-)