ST. LOUIS — Most people would rather not know the day and date they were going to die. But how about a heads up?
According to a study using data from the National Institute on Aging’s Health ABC study and Dr. Honglei Chen's analysis, your sense of smell could determine how much longer you will live.
As part of the study, 2,300 men and women between the ages 71 and 82 were asked to identify 12 common odors, and were then ranked based on how well they performed.
The participants were considered to have either poor, moderate, or a good sense of smell.
Regardless of the gender, it was determined that older adults who were unable to recognize or distinguish between common scents were 50 percent more likely to die over a 10-year period than others with sharp noses.
Researchers suggest smell tests could become a routine part of your annual checkup since an impaired sense of smell could be an early flag of illness.
RELATED STORIES:
