Why losing your sense of smell in old age is a major red flag

Why losing your sense of smell in old age is a major red flagWhy losing your sense of smell in old age is a major red flagLosing your sense of smell might be an early predictor of death, according to a new study.While a humans sense of smell dissipates with old age, elderly adults who had trouble identifying common scents are apparently knocking on deaths door, having nearly a 50% likelihood of dying within the next 10 years, according to a new studypublished in Annals of Internal Medicine.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThe findingsResearchers examined more than 2,200 participants between ages 71 and 82 where they were administered a smell test of a dozen common odors that are experienced in daily life.Participants were given multiple choices and were asked to identify the scent, where they were then classified by a ranking system as either good, moderator, or poor based on the ir responses.Researchers found that those with poor olfaction had a 46% higher mortality at year 10 compared to those who were deemed to have a better sense of smell. The study also said those who scored poorly had a 30% more likely chance theyd die after 13 years.It tells us that in older adults, impaired sense of smell has broader implications of health beyond what we have already known, said Honglei Chen, an epidemiologist at Michigan State University. Incorporating a sense of smell screening in routine doctor visits might be a good idea at some point.When analyzing the data, researchers concluded that having a poor sense of smell was linked to deaths from Parkinsons disease, dementia, and chronic kidney disease.The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders claims smell disorders are caused after recent illness or injury. Common causes of smell disorders include smoking, dental problems, and chemical exposure.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 r ituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people