Increasing salt preferences with age are said to increase preferences ofsalty foods, thereby leading to greater sodium consumption, which has furtherimplication for hypertension. This study examined the link between preference of saltytaste and dietary factors and health-related risk factors in Korean elderly people. Methods: We studied 312 elderly individuals aged > 65 years (male, 100 and female,212). With each subject, pleasant concentration of NaCl was estimated using the sipand-spit method. Dietary habits, food preferences, consumption frequencies, anthropometricand biochemical assessment were assessed. Results: The pleasant salt concentration was significantly increased in individuals olderthan 75 years (p < 0.05). Subjects who liked high concentration of salt showedsignificantly higher preferences for salty foods (p < 0.001). Results showed significanteffects (p < 0.01) of fruit & fruit juice consumption frequencies, MNA (mini-nutritionalassessment), cognition score, BMI, body fat %, waist circumference, arm circumference,calf circumference, vitamin D level that subjects who likes low salty taste werehigher than subjects who likes high salty taste. Conclusions: The preference for salty taste in the elderly was not correlated withhypertension. But, increased preference for salty taste with age and increased salty foodpreferences may result in higher sodium consumption. Therefore, nutritional educationregarding lowering salt preference and favorable behaviors of low-salt diet is needed toimprove the quality of life in the rural elderly.