The Sense of Smell and the Aging Population

In the aging population, the sense of smell is a significant contributor to overall health. Significantly, women with impaired sense of smell are less socially active and have a smaller circle of friends.

In the journal Scientific Reports, researchers published a thesis proving that older women with a poorer sense of smell are less likely to participate in society than their peers with a normal sense of smell.

Smell is a key aspect of overall health

Johan Lundstrom from the Monell Chemical Senses Center explains that for an aging population, the sense of smell is crucial. This applies not only to overall health but also to its relationship with social behavior. As many as 20% of Americans over the age of 50 have a weakened sense of smell. To improve quality of life in old age, it's important to understand the relationship between smell and social behavior.

Smell and the social life of older people The researchers used data collected from a survey of American society (based on the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project report). They found that older women, who scored higher on odor recognition tests, had richer social lives. Women with impaired or weakened senses of smell had fewer friends and rarely socialized. Interestingly, the researchers found no link between men's sense of smell and social activity. It is also unclear how the quality of smell affects the social lives of younger women.