Older Adults Who Lose Their Sense of Smell Lose Grip Faster
Graded Moderate — researchers followed 2,348 older adults for up to seven years, but smell was tested only once, and an observational study cannot prove cause.
- Design
- Prospective cohort study
- Participants
- 2,348
- Duration
- 7 years
- Funding
- National Institute on Aging; National Institute of Nursing Research; NIH…
Older adults who can barely smell lose grip strength faster than those with a good sense of smell.
Older people who can barely smell anything lose strength in their hands faster. This held for both women and men aged 71 to 82. In men, the strength in the thigh also faded faster. The researchers see a fading sense of smell as a possible early sign of how nerves and muscles age.
The data come from a large US study of 2,348 older adults in Pittsburgh and Memphis. At the start, all of them could walk without trouble. Each took a short test once, trying to identify twelve smells. Anyone who got half or fewer right counted as having almost no sense of smell. Over up to seven years, the team then measured several times how firmly people could grip.
The yearly amounts are small, but they come on top of the usual loss of strength. Women with a good sense of smell lost 0.42 kilograms of grip strength a year. Women without a sense of smell lost an extra 0.21 kilograms. People whose smell was only somewhat weaker showed no clear difference from those who smelled well. Whether losing smell weakens muscles cannot be read from this. Smell was tested only once, and other influences cannot be fully ruled out.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure: One author sits on the journal's editorial board, and another received research grants from the NIH and Michigan State University.
Disclaimer: Research summaries are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine.