The latest findings suggest that clinicians should consider assessing taste function during routine health check-ups. For patients exhibiting taste abnormalities, closer monitoring of other stroke risk factors and personalized preventive measures may be warranted.
Stroke, an acute cerebrovascular disease, occurs when blood vessels in the brain suddenly rupture or become blocked. But are individuals with taste disorders more prone to stroke?
Published on April 9th in the cardiovascular journal JACC: Asia, a study titled "Perceived Taste and Olfactory Dysfunctions and Subsequent Stroke Risk" suggests that individuals with taste disorders may indeed have a higher risk of stroke in the future. Led by Dr. Gao Xiang, Dean of the Institute of Nutrition at Fudan University, in collaboration with Kailuan General Hospital in Hebei Province, China, this research sheds light on the potential link between taste and olfactory dysfunctions and stroke risk.
[JACC: Asia Paper Snapshot. Source: Interviewee]
Previous studies have suggested that taste and smell dysfunction are often associated with neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular risk factors, but there is limited evidence regarding their specific connection with the risk of stroke.
This study indicates that taste dysfunction is associated with an increased risk of stroke (adjusted hazard ratio = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.36, 3.04; P < 0.001), while no significant correlation was found between smell dysfunction and increased stroke risk (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.22; 95% CI: 0.79, 1.90; P = 0.34). Similarly, the association between taste and smell dysfunction and ischemic stroke events showed similar results.
The study was based on a large-scale prospective cohort study in Hebei Province, China—the Kailuan Study, which included 85,656 participants (mean age 51.0 ± 15.3 years), and collected basic information, lifestyle, and health status data through questionnaire surveys and medical record examinations.
Researchers investigated whether participants had experienced continuous taste or smell abnormalities in the past three months from 2014 to 2016. During a mean follow-up period of 5.6 years, 2,198 new ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke events were confirmed. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze the association between chemosensory dysfunction and stroke events, and mediation analysis was conducted to explore the role of chronic diseases. Sensitivity analysis further ensured the robustness of the study results.
Recently, Gao Xiang told The Paper Technology that these results are expected to guide clinicians to include taste function assessment in routine health checks. For patients exhibiting taste abnormalities, doctors can more closely monitor other stroke risk factors and take personalized preventive and intervention measures.
[Dialogue]
The Paper Technology: Why do individuals with taste abnormalities have a higher risk of stroke?
Gao Xiang (Dean of the Nutrition Research Institute at Fudan University, Professor of the School of Public Health): Taste abnormalities may increase the risk of stroke through multiple mechanisms. Firstly, taste disorders may lead individuals to prefer foods high in salt or fat, thereby increasing the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, all of which could lead to atherosclerosis and narrowed blood vessels, thus increasing the risk of stroke. In addition, impaired taste function may affect nutrient intake and metabolism, thereby affecting immune function and metabolic capacity. Furthermore, taste abnormalities are associated with dysfunction in brain regions processing sensory information, which may reflect damage to microvascular or neural pathways. Therefore, by monitoring and managing taste function, it may be possible to identify individuals at high risk of stroke and intervene early to reduce the risk of stroke.
The Paper Technology: Based on this study, can stroke prevention methods be summarized?
Gao Xiang: Based on this study, we can summarize a more refined set of stroke prevention methods. This includes incorporating taste function assessment into routine cardiovascular disease risk assessment to identify individuals at high risk of stroke who may not be captured by traditional methods. In addition, dietary adjustments, such as reducing the intake of high-sodium and high-fat foods, and increasing the intake of comprehensive and balanced nutrition, are crucial for controlling blood pressure and blood sugar levels, which helps improve vascular health and reduce the risk of stroke. Through multidimensional preventive methods, potential risks of stroke can be more comprehensively identified and reduced.
The Paper Technology: What are the future research directions for this study?
Gao Xiang: Future research may delve deeper into the biological mechanisms underlying the association between taste dysfunction and the risk of stroke, including potential molecular and genetic factors. Additionally, later-stage research will explore whether intervening in such sensory impairments can effectively reduce the risk of stroke occurrence.
The Paper Technology: Do other sensory impairments also affect the risk of stroke?
Gao Xiang: The results of this study provide a framework for the relationship between taste dysfunction and stroke. Through this framework, it can be speculated that other sensory impairments, such as visual and auditory impairments, theoretically may also affect the risk of stroke by influencing lifestyle habits or intrinsic neurological pathways. This association may be due to sensory impairments affecting individuals' daily activities and dietary choices, which in turn affect cardiovascular health. Future research will need to explore these relationships to determine whether various sensory impairments independently increase the risk of stroke, thus providing deeper insights into preventive strategies.
