The Nutritional Impact of COVID-19-Induced Olfactory Dysfunction

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Established links exist between nutrition and chemosensory perception.
• The nutritional consequences of COVID-19-associated chemosensory dysfunction remain largely uncharacterized.
• COVID-19 frequently causes olfactory dysfunction, impacting taste and smell.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between COVID-19-induced anosmia and subsequent malnutrition.
• To quantify the risk of overnutrition, undernutrition, and any malnutrition diagnosis in individuals with COVID-19-related smell loss.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study utilizing the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) Database.
• Inclusion criteria: COVID-19 positive adults without prior malnutrition diagnosis.
• Statistical analysis involved odds ratio (OR) calculations with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Main Results:

• A cohort of 19,384 COVID-19 positive adults with new-onset anosmia was analyzed.
• Significant increased odds of overnutrition (OR 1.36, 95% CI [1.26, 1.46]) were observed.
• Significant increased odds of any malnutrition diagnosis (OR 1.34, 95% CI [1.25, 1.44]) were found, but not undernutrition (OR 0.88, 95% CI [0.66, 1.16]).

Conclusions:

• Chemosensory losses, specifically anosmia, following COVID-19 infection are associated with an elevated risk of subsequent overnutrition.
• These findings suggest a national-scale public health concern regarding nutritional imbalances in the post-COVID-19 population.
• Further research is warranted to understand the mechanisms and develop interventions for nutritional support in affected individuals.