Is There a Secret to Longevity Hidden in Your Nose?
The most common issues affecting the eyes and ears can be resolved with lenses and hearing aids. However, there isn't a device that can assist another crucial sense that can decline with age - our sense of smell.
As previously discussed, cognitive decline has been associated with a diminishing sense of smell. A recent study reveals that failing a smell test is not only connected to dementia but also serves as a predictor of future frailty and mortality.
While a congested nose due to a cold or flu can temporarily reduce our sense of smell, it typically returns once we recover. We often take our sense of smell for granted, except in situations like the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
During the pandemic, a significant number of individuals infected with the virus experienced a loss of smell as a symptom, with some never fully regaining their sense of smell even after recovery.
Prior to the pandemic, a diminishing sense of smell was viewed as an early sign of conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The latest study from Johns Hopkins University now introduces additional concerns regarding this sensory decline.
Overview
The study examined the relationship between smell impairment and frailty, which is considered an indicator of accelerated aging and is highly predictive of future disability and mortality.
The research involved 1,160 adults with an average age of 76. The team assessed frailty using a set of markers including weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, slow walking speed, and low physical activity.
Volunteers were asked to identify five scents and detect six others to evaluate their odor identification and sensitivity. The results were then compared to the participants' frailty scores.
The study revealed a correlation between a diminished sense of smell and increased frailty. Moreover, an improvement in both olfactory identification and sensitivity scores was associated with a significant reduction in frailty status.
Sense of smell as a longevity biomarker
The findings suggest that the loss of smell can serve as a measurable biomarker and potential risk factor for frailty in older adults. Maintaining the sense of smell is linked to better health, resilience, and longevity.
Although odor identification involves cognitive processing, the simple detection of odors does not. The connection to frailty is believed to extend beyond the brain to the nose itself, according to senior author Nicholas Rowan.
Dr. Rowan highlights the serious implications of smell loss, including appetite loss, hygiene monitoring difficulties, and inability to detect harmful fumes, which can lead to weight loss, malnutrition, weakness, and accidents in older adults.
Smell loss is a significant concern
He suggests that smell tests should be incorporated into routine screening procedures to assess the risk of frailty or unhealthy aging. Improvements in nutrition and medical evaluations could be recommended for those who fail the smell test.
Professor John Morley recommends a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and olive oil to prevent frailty, along with a supplement of leucine-enriched essential amino acids for enhanced muscle strength. He also emphasizes that physical exercise can often reverse physical frailty.