Salt taste sensitivity thresholds in adolescents: are there any relationships with body composition and blood pressure levels?

The aim of this study was to identify the salt taste sensitivity thresholds and relationships with body composition and blood pressure levels in a cross-sectional study of adolescents. Blood pressure and body composition were measured with a digital device and by anthropometry, respectively. The salt taste sensitivity threshold was measured with 9 solutions with different sodium chloride concentrations to assess the sensitivity to saltiness. The solutions (4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 120, 250, 500 and 1000 mmol/L sodium chloride) were served in increasing concentrations until the taste was correctly identified. The taste sensitivity threshold was then classified as normal or high. In total, 421 adolescents (55.6% female), with an average age of 15.8 ± 0.91 years, were evaluated. The median threshold was 30 mmol/L, and 36.1% had a high threshold. The high blood pressure prevalence was 12.6%, and 25.5% of the subjects were overweight. When the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were compared between the normal and increased threshold groups after adjusting for gender, age, sedentary lifestyle and body mass index, only diastolic blood pressure showed a statistically significant effect (P < 0.0001) between the groups. The effect of a high threshold on body composition after adjusting for gender, age and physical inactivity was not significant (P = 0.177). There was no relationship between a high threshold and systolic pressure or body composition in the evaluated adolescents; therefore, only diastolic blood pressure was affected.