Increased risk of olfactory and taste dysfunction in the United States psoriasis population

• Published in: European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology 2023-02, Vol.280 (2), p.695-702
• Main Authors: Zhong, Pei-Xun, Chen, Yi-Hsien, Li, I.-Hsun, Wen, Yuan-Liang, Kao, Hui-Han, Chiang, Kuan-Wei, Kao, Li-Ting
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cross-Sectional Studies; Dysgeusia; Head and Neck Surgery; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurosurgery; Nutrition Surveys; Olfaction Disorders - epidemiology; Olfaction Disorders - etiology; Otorhinolaryngology; Psoriasis - complications; Psoriasis - epidemiology; Rhinology; Smell; Taste; Taste Disorders - epidemiology; Taste Disorders - etiology; United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0937-4477; 1434-4726
• DOI: 10.1007/s00405-022-07530-4

Background It is plausible that immunopathological processes associated with psoriasis might contribute to the occurrence of olfactory or taste dysfunction. However, the actual association was still unknown. Purpose To determine the relationship between olfactory or taste dysfunction and psoriasis. Methods Two cross-sectional studies were performed by using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. Participants with psoriasis were defined as cases and those without psoriasis were identified as controls. Taste and smell self-reported questionnaires were used to define smell/taste alterations and identification tests were used to assure the smell/taste dysfunctions. Logistic regression models with inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) strategies were conducted to investigated the relationship between psoriasis and olfactory or taste dysfunction. Results Self-reported questionnaires indicated that psoriasis patients were more likely to have perceived taste alteration (IPTW-aOR = 1.43) and smell alteration (IPTW-aOR = 1.22). Identification tests revealed that psoriasis was associated with taste dysfunction (IPTW-aOR = 1.28) and olfactory dysfunction (IPTW-aOR = 1.22). Relevant findings showed that psoriasis may be significantly associated with taste or olfactory dysfunction regardless of the questionnaire data or identification examination data used. Conclusion Olfactory and taste dysfunction could be considered comorbidities in patients with psoriasis based on our observational study. Therefore, physicians should be cautious of olfaction and taste alterations among patients with psoriasis.