Does losing your sense of smell predict death risk?

Conclusion This is an interesting study but it had limitations, including its use of only one short test and only five smells to identify people with anosmia. The diagnosis was not clinically verified and the test was performed in the person's home environment, rather than standardised across all participants in a clinic. Although researchers tried to control for confounders, it is still possible that measured and unmeasured confounders played a role. Even if the results of this study were robust, this study did not look at cause of death, so no preventative strategies were identified for people with anosmia. Being told you have an increased risk of death is not particularly useful if there are no well-validated methods of reducing said risk. If anything, such news does more harm than good. There are many reasons for temporary loss of sense of smell, including viral infections, nasal blockage and allergy. But anyone who suddenly loses their sense of smell is advised to see their GP as anosmia may be a sign of an underlying – and treatable – disorder. Analysis by Bazian. Edited by NHS Choices. Follow Behind the Headlines on Twitter. Join the Healthy Evidence forum. Links To The Headlines Sense of smell 'may predict lifespan'. BBC News, October 1 2014 Your nose knows death is imminent. The Guardian, October 1 2014 People who can no longer smell peppermint, fish, rose or leather 'may have only five years left to live'. Daily Mail, October 2 2014 A poor sense of smell co...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news