Study: sense of smell could predict lifespan

Ever heard the phrase ‘smells like death’?

Turns out, there could be a little truth to it… kind of.

A new study published in journal PLOS ONE, reports that a weakened sense of smell could be an indicator of imminent death.

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Researchers surveyed 3,000 men and women aged 57-85 and found that 39 per cent of those with the poorest smell were dead within five years, compared to only 10 per cent of those who identified odours correctly.

So how did the study work? Scientists from the University of Chicago asked the sample of adults to take part in a smell test with five distinct odours: peppermint, fish, orange, rose and leather.

Five years later, they found 430 of the participants had passed away. Thirty-nine per cent of those had the lowest scores, while 10 per cent of those were assessed with a healthy sense of smell.

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Researchers also took into account other lifestyle factors including age, nutrition, smoking habits, hypertension, diabetes, alcohol intake, socioeconomic status, BMI, race, stroke and overall health.

Despite these other factors, the study found that the worst sense of smell was the greatest indicator. However, the experts maintained a poor sense of smell is not a direct cause of death.

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“We think loss of the sense of smell is like the canary in the coal mine,” says lead researcher Jayant Pinto. “It doesn’t directly cause death, but it is an early warning system that shows some damage may have been done.”

While it’s difficult to sniff out exactly how loss of smell is related to lifespan, researchers believe it could indicate a degeneration of cells in the body.

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“The sense of smell is a little underappreciated,” Pinto said. “But we don’t want people to panic. A bad cold, allergies and sinus problems can all affect your sense of smell.”

He added: “People shouldn’t be too worried, but if problems persist, they should speak to their physicians.”