Your sense of smell could predict how long you will live for - new research

New research suggests that smell loss could be a useful indicator into overall health in older adults. Study author Dr Nicholas Rowan said: "We already do tests to assess how well we can see or hear. It's just as easy to conduct a simple smell test that takes only minutes, which could potentially be used as a valuable tool to assess the risk of frailty or unhealthy ageing."

The associate professor of head and neck surgery from John Hopkins University elaborated.

"For example, if someone flunks a smell test then maybe this patient needs to improve their nutrition or undergo a more detailed neurological or medical work-up."

The study built upon previous research that shows a drop in smelling ability is a common early indicator of brain-linked cognitive decline.

For this research project, the researchers collected data from 1,160 older adults...................................