Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore have found a link between loss of smell and the risk of developing weakness in older people. The results are published in: Gerontology Journals.
For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 1,160 seniors who participated in the National Project on Social Life, Health and Aging between 2015 and 2016. Participants, with an average age of 76 years, were exposed to five odors to measure odor recognition ability and six odors to measure olfactory sensitivity.
The results of the olfactory tests were then compared to the participants’ assessment of senile frailty based on five markers: weight loss, fatigue, weakness, slow walking speed, and low physical activity. The more scores the participants scored on olfactory tests, the fewer signs of senile weakness turned out to be.
The nature of this relationship is unclear, but the authors noted that the odor test only takes a few minutes and can be a valuable screening tool for vulnerability.