Clinical trial NCT01023906: Taste Perception and Chronic Disease Risk
Official title: Relationship Between Variations in Taste Perception and Chronic Disease Risk Factors as a Function of Age
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Cardiovascular Disease
Diabetes
Obesity
Metabolic Syndrome
Aging
Keywords: Taste
general Labeled Magnitude Scale
Aging
Chronic Disease Risk
Smell
Lead sponsor: Tufts University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: University of Connecticut
First posted: 2009-12-02
Enrollment: 90
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 85
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Community Sample

Brief summary: The purpose of the Taste Perception Study is to assess variations in the ability to taste and perceive sensations from various stimuli in younger (18-49 years) and older (50-85 years) volunteers. The study's goal is to determine how these sensations influence what one likes to eat, and what one chooses to eat, and whether there is an association with dietary intake, body composition and chronic disease. Another objective of the study is to determine the association between variations in oral sensations and genes mediating sensory perception and dietary behaviours.

Detailed description: The objective of the Taste Perception Study is to assess variations in oral sensations in younger (18-49 years; n=35) relative to older (50-85 years; n=35) subjects, and determine the association between variations in oral sensations and measures of chronic disease risk factors, body composition, habitual dietary intake and selected genes mediating sensory perception and dietary behaviors. Subjects who are participating in the Glycemic Index study (IRB #7196) will be asked for voluntarily participation in the proposed study. These volunteers will undergo 1-2 hours of standardized testing. These tests will involve tasting or smelling certain foods/beverages or ingredients in foods/beverages and rating the degree of liking/disliking, intensity and flavor or odor using a validated general Labeled magnitude scale. Volunteers will also be asked to complete a food preference survey and eating inventory questionnaire, as well as provide a DNA sample from a cheek swab or blood sample. These data will then be merged with the measures of chronic disease risk factors, body composition and habitual dietary intake data generated from the Glycemic index study in order to better understand if variations in oral sensations influence food preferences and patterns and subsequently chronic disease risk.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* men and women;
* aged 18 to 85 years old;
* free of known chronic disease;
* BMI \< 35 kg/ m2.

Exclusion criteria:

* BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2;
* renal or liver disease;
* untreated hypertension;
* irritable bowel syndrome;
* malabsorptive, esophageal and gastrointestinal motility disorders;
* chronic pancreatitis, or history of acute pancreatitis within the last year;
* hypothyroidism or hypothyroidism, as defined as screening TSH outside of normal ranges;
* anemia, as defined by screening hematocrit of 34% for women and 38% for men;
* smoking within the past 6 months;
* diabetes;
* fasting glucose ≥ 125 mg/dL;
* pregnancy or breastfeeding;
* history of polycystic ovary syndrome;
* history of autoimmune or other connective tissue disorders associated with chronic inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis; alcohol consumption \> 7 drinks/ week;
* use of medications known to affect glucose or lipid metabolism;
* established CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, coronary artery bypass, graft, stenosis \> 50%, peripheral arterial disease);
* unwillingness to adhere to study protocol;
* weight gain or loss of more than 15 lbs within 6 months prior to enrollment and other abnormal screening laboratory analysis results.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Sensory/hedonic rating
timeFrame: 1 - 2 hours
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Genetic Variation
timeFrame: 1- 2 hours
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Boston
country: United States
facility: Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University
state: Massachusetts
Study officials:
affiliation: HNRCA at Tufts University
name: Nirupa R Matthan, Ph.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
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