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Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
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Olfaction and Physical Functioning in Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study.

Yaqun Yuan1, Chenxi Li1, Zhehui Luo1

  • 1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA.

The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
|August 11, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Poor olfaction, or sense of smell, is linked to faster physical functioning decline in older adults. This finding highlights the importance of olfaction for maintaining mobility and independence in aging populations.

Keywords:
EpidemiologyOlfactory impairmentPhysical performance

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Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Neuroscience
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Poor olfaction is associated with diminished functional performance in older adults.
  • Longitudinal evidence linking olfaction to physical functioning decline is limited.
  • This study addresses the gap by investigating olfaction's role in longitudinal changes in physical functioning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between olfactory function and longitudinal changes in physical functioning among community-dwelling older adults.
  • To provide epidemiological evidence on how olfaction impacts physical decline over time.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 2,319 participants (aged 71-82) from the Health, Aging and Body Composition study.
  • Olfactory function assessed using the Brief Smell Identification Test (categorized as good, moderate, or poor).
  • Physical functioning measured over 8 years using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and HABCPPB, analyzed with joint models.

Main Results:

  • Older adults with poor olfaction exhibited significantly greater annual declines in SPPB scores and its subscales (standing balance, chair stand, gait speed) compared to those with good olfaction.
  • A similar accelerated decline was observed in the Health Aging and Body Composition Physical Performance Battery (HABCPPB) scores.
  • These associations remained robust, independent of demographics, lifestyle, chronic diseases, and potential biases from attrition.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first epidemiological evidence that poor olfaction predicts a faster decline in physical functioning in older adults.
  • The findings underscore the potential role of olfaction as a biomarker for physical decline.
  • Further research is recommended to elucidate the underlying mechanisms connecting olfaction and physical function.