Why does a patient taking captopril, an ACE inhibitor, sometimes experience a distorted sense of taste, specifically a metallic or salty taste sensation?

💡 Explanation

Captopril contains a sulfhydryl group that can bind to zinc ions, which are crucial for the function of gustin, a salivary protein essential for the development and maintenance of taste buds; because captopril reduces available zinc, taste bud function is impaired, therefore distorted taste is perceived, rather than increased saliva, altered olfaction, or direct neural stimulation.

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