[Pathophysiologic role of the level of taste sensitivity to table salt and its determination during treatment of hypertension with diuretics].

Sixty hypertensive patients (stage IIB, no complications) were studied. Gustatory sensitivity threshold to salt was determined and body fluid volume, extracellular fluid volume, intracellular fluid volume, circulating plasma volume and interstitial fluid volume were measured in the control period and 2-3 weeks after treatment with diuretics. 27, 63 and 10% of patients had low, moderate and high gustatory sensitivity threshold, respectively. Patients with different gustatory sensitivity threshold to salt were identical in body fluid volume with peculiar extracellular fluid distribution between intravascular and interstitial spaces. In patients (72%) with a favourable hypotensive effect of diuretic therapy the reduction in gustatory threshold to salt was significant.