A study published in the Journals of Gerontology stated that difficulty in the sense of smell might help predict an increased risk of age-related health problems.

Dysfunction in the sense of smell is an early predictor of cognitive decline, brain fragility, and unhealthy aging.

Researchers examined data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Study Wave 3 on 1 160 older persons. They assessed olfactory sensitivity and identification, representing the capacity to detect and name an odor.

Participants in the study were exposed to five fragrances to assess identification skills and six scents to assess sensitivity, which was then matched to their frailty score.

Frailty status decreased considerably for each one-point increase in both olfactory identification and sensitivity scores, implying that the ability to smell appropriately is related to better general health in the older population.

Keeping an eye on ones sense of smell is an essential biomarker and risk factor for frailty. Scent testing may become a necessary aspect of therapeutic care for older people who are cognitively challenged. A simple smell test which takes just a few minutes could be useful in predicting frailty or unhealthy aging.

If a person fails a scent test, they may need to change their nutrition or have a more thorough neurologic or medical workup. Smell testing could help clinical and research efforts to improve care for older persons, mainly as COVID-19 affects many patients sense of smell.

(Source: 

1. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/990231?src=
2. https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/gerona/glac237/6880052?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false)