1<\/p>\n A poor sense of smell has been linked to conditions like dementia as well as a higher risk of deathCredit: Getty<\/p>\n Previous research has shown that older adults with a poor sense of smell<\/a> have a higher risk of mortality, but the mechanisms behind this link have remained unclear. <\/p>\n Scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden<\/a> found that adults who frequently misidentified smells<\/a> were more likely to die in the next six years – with their risk jumping by six per cent each time they got it wrong.<\/p>\n Study participants were adults between the ages of 60 and 99 whose smelling skills were put to test with what’s known as the Sniffin\u2019 Sticks Odour Identification task. <\/p>\n They were given sixteen felt tip pens with distinct smells one after the other, and allowed to smell them for five seconds each. <\/p>\n The 2,524 participants were asked to name what they were smelling if they were able to. <\/p>\n Otherwise, they were given a multiple choice and asked to select the correct one out of four. <\/p>\n They got one point with each correct answer – so if someone were to name every single smell they’d get 16 points. <\/p>\n Participants were categorised as anosmic<\/a> – smell blind – if they got six points or less. <\/p>\n Those who were able to correctly identify 11 to 16 smells were normosmic – meaning they had a normal sense of smell. <\/p>\n After six years, about 18 per cent of participants had died and 9 per cent had developed dementia.<\/p>\n Signs of dementia that might be missed<\/p>\n After 12 years, 39 per cent had passed away and 15 per cent had the memory-robbing disease. <\/p>\n Researchers compared this information to their smell tests to assess their likelihood of dying after six and 12 years. <\/p>\n Each incorrect answer on the odour identification test was associated with a 6 per cent increased risk of death after six years, and with a 5 per cent increased risk at 12 years. <\/p>\n So if someone got a score of six on their smell test, they had a 42 per cent increased risk of death from any cause after six years and a 34 per cent increased risk at 12 years.<\/p>\n Dementia: the subtle signs and symptoms<\/p>\n Dementia symptoms can be subtle and vague at first.<\/p>\n As the disease progresses, symptoms can become more severe.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some common early symptoms include:<\/p>\n As dementia progresses, symptoms can include:<\/p>\n If you notice any of these symptoms in yourself or someone else, , it’s important to speak with a doctor, as these are significant health concerns. <\/p>\n Researchers found that anosmic people had a 68 per cent higher risk of death after six years compared to normosmic participants. <\/p>\n For people who performed poorly on their smell test, dementia was the biggest risk factor for early death after six years, followed by respiratory illness<\/a>. <\/p>\n At the 12 year mark, frailty became a bigger risk factor, scientists said. <\/p>\n “Dementia explained 23 per cent of the olfaction-mortality association at six years,” they wrote. <\/p>\n “However, this association was absent at 12 years.<\/p>\n “Frailty accounted for 11 per cent of the total association at 6 years and remained the only meaningful mediator at 12 years, accounting for 8 per cent of the total association.”<\/p>\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/woman-leaning-wok-smelling-cooked-986494809.jpg\")
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