Scientists find loss of smell may indicate heart problems

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Scientists from the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine found that loss of smell may be associated with an approximately 30% increased risk of congestive heart failure. Research results published In the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA).

As people get older, they often lose their sense of smell. Some studies show that by the age of 50, one in four people’s ability to detect odors decreases. More than half of older people over the age of 80 have difficulty recognizing odors. Loss of the sense of smell can lead to decreased quality of life (loss of enjoyment of food) and reduced ability to detect spoiled food or gas leaks by smell.

In a new study of 2,537 volunteers, researchers found that loss of smell may also be a sign of congestive heart failure (CHF). This is a pathological condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs or can only do so when its filling pressure is abnormally high. CHF occurs due to weakness of the contractile function of the heart.

It was stated that the participants of the research were between the ages of 70 and 79. First, the subjects’ olfactory acuity was assessed using a special odor recognition test. The scientists then compared the obtained data with information obtained from the participants’ medical records. It has been found that when you lose your sense of smell, your risk of congestive heart failure increases by approximately 30%. But the inability to recognize odors was not associated with heart disease or stroke.

Substances previously removed from frying pans connected with an increased risk of heart disease.

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