Antihypertensive Drugs and Taste Dysfunction: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Taste dysfunction represents a significant yet underrecognized adverse effect of antihypertensive pharmacotherapy, affecting patient quality of life, nutritional status, and medication adherence. According to the Physicians’ Desk Reference, approximately 36% of modern antihypertensive drugs produce untoward alterations in chemosensory perception. This manuscript comprehensively reviews the anatomy and physiology of the gustatory system, the mechanisms of taste perception, and the specific taste disturbances associated with major antihypertensive drug classes, including ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, and diuretics. Understanding these drug-induced alterations is essential for clinicians to optimize therapeutic regimens while minimizing adverse effects that may compromise treatment compliance. The manuscript further explores future advances in personalized pharmacotherapy, biomarker identification, and novel therapeutic strategies to mitigate drug-induced gustatory dysfunction.