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Published on: January 25, 2018
Gustatory and olfactory dysfunction in older adults: a national probability study.
S Boesveldt1, S T Lindau, M K McClintock
1Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA. sanne.boesveldt@wsur.nl
Rhinology
|August 23, 2011
Summary
Severe taste and smell problems are common in older US adults. These chemosensory dysfunctions correlate with age, education, sex, BMI, and mental health, impacting daily life.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sensory Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Olfactory and gustatory functions are not well characterized in older US adults.
- Limited data exist on the relationship between chemosensory function and health in this demographic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize olfactory and gustatory functions in a large national probability sample of older adults.
- To investigate the relationships between chemosensory function and sociodemographic, physical, and mental health characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a five-odour identification test to assess olfactory function.
- Employed taste-impregnated filter paper strips (sweet, sour, bitter, salty) for gustatory function assessment.
- Employed brief, validated tests for chemosensory function evaluation in a national probability sample.
Main Results:
- Severe gustatory dysfunction was more prevalent than severe olfactory dysfunction.
- Age, education, and sex were independently associated with both olfactory and gustatory identification performance.
- Olfactory performance correlated positively with BMI and was negatively associated with depressive symptoms; food-related odours were identified better than non-food odours.
Conclusions:
- A high prevalence of severe gustatory and olfactory dysfunction exists in a population-based sample of older adults.
- Brief chemosensory tests can detect correlations between chemical senses and health measures outside clinical settings.
- Findings highlight the importance of assessing sensory function in older adults for health monitoring.
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