U Of C Researchers Find Link Between Sense Of Smell, Odds Of Dying
(CBS) -- University of Chicago researchers have found that the odds of death within five years go up when seniors lose their sense of smell, reports WBBM's John Cody.
U of C surgeon Jayant Pinto and his team had volunteers from 57 to 85 smell leather, rose, fish, peppermint and orange then returned for a retest five year later.
Dr. Pinto says those who could not smell during the first test were three times as likely to have died as those whose sense of smell was in good shape.
"Your sense of smell is a really sensitive indicator of your brain function and as your sense of smell declines your brain function declines and it is a sign that your body is shutting down," he said.
Dr. Pinto says tests of ability to smell may be a useful to finding patients who need close medical attention to maximize their life spans.