In a new study, researchers found that a poor sense of smell is linked to nearly 50% higher death risk in 10 years.
The research was conducted by a team from Michigan State University.
Previous research has shown that poor sense of smell becomes more common when people get old, and there’s a link to a higher risk for death.
For example, a poor sense of smell is known as an early sign for Parkinson’s disease and dementia. It is also linked to weight loss.
However, it has been unknown why the poor sense of smell could predict a higher death risk.
In the study, the team examined data from almost 2,300 participants between 71 and 82 years old from the National Institute on Aging’s Health ABC study.
The participants completed a smell test of 12 common odors, and the team divided them into a good, moderate and poor sense of smell groups.
They found that people with poor smell were at a 46% higher risk for death at 10 years and 30% at 13 years compared with a good sense of smell.
Moreover, healthier participants at the beginning of the study were found to be largely responsible for the higher risk.
The effects were not affected by sex, race or other demographic and lifestyle factors.
The researchers suggest that in older people, poor sense of smell may have broader implications of health problems than previously thought.
It may be an early and sensitive sign for deteriorating health before it’s even recognized in the doctor’s office.
It is important to incorporate a sense of smell test in routine doctor visits.
If people think they’re having trouble smelling, they should talk to a doctor.
The lead author of the study is Honglei Chen, an epidemiologist.
The study is published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
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