Salt taste perception, dietary salt intake, cardiovascular health and genetic variation in Zambian adults with HIV.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of noncommunicable mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), driven in part by excessive salt intake. People living with HIV (PLWH) face heightened CVD risks due to hypertension and potential taste dysfunction, yet genetic and sensory drivers of salt intake in this population remain understudied. This study primarily explores differences between salt taste perception and dietary salt intake. The secondary aim was to determine if genetic variation influences the above and health markers of CVD.

Methods

Seventy-nine Zambian adults (37 PLWH, 42 healthy controls (HC)) underwent salt taste threshold/preference assessments, 24-h dietary recalls, and genotyping. Salt intensity/pleasantness was rated using visual analogu

SUBMITTER: Masenga SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12558775 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature