Salt Taste Perception and Salt Intake in Adults With and Without Coronary Heart Disease: Interactions With Body Mass Index, Sex, and Salt Intake

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. While management guidelines recommend reducing dietary sodium/salt intake, salt taste can enhance food flavor and quality of life, making adherence to dietary recommendations challenging. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to explore differences in salt taste perception between adults with CHD and those without CHD and whether these differences interact with sex and body mass index (BMI). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis to assess the associations of CHD with sodium intake and salt taste intensity using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2014 data. General linear model analyses were conducted by regressing sodium intake or salt tastant concentration on CHD, controlling for sex and BMI. RESULTS: Of the 4094 participants, 50.2% females with a mean age of 45.8 (standard deviation = 17.7). Individuals with CHD reported a higher intensity of dietary salt perception via the Tongue Tip Test: 1 M NaCl generalized Label Magnitude Scale (mean = 31.73, standard error = 2.71) compared with those without CHD (mean = 24.65; standard error = 0.51), P = .04. When stratifying by sex and BMI, there was a significant difference between individuals with and without CHD. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that individuals with CHD exhibit distinct salt taste perception, with notable sex and BMI differences. Our study underscores the importance of incorporating sensory science into dietary counseling and developing tailored interventions to individual taste profiles to enhance dietary adherence and overall well-being.