ArticleThe journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences2020
Olfaction and Changes in Body Composition in a Large Cohort of Older U.S. Adults.
Article in The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- Genome-wide association study meta-analysis uncovers novel genetic variants associated with olfactory dysfunction.BMC genomic data · 2025Pooled it
- Association between age-related sensory impairment with sarcopenia and its related components in older adults: a systematic review.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2022Pooled it
- The association between olfactory dysfunction and cardiovascular disease and its risk factors in middle-aged and older adults.Scientific reports · 2021Trial
- Olfaction and muscle strength in older adults: a longitudinal study.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2026Article
- Olfaction and Coronary Heart Disease.JAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery · 2026Article
- Poor olfaction and risk of heart failure in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2025Article
- Longitudinal Association of Olfactory Function with Frailty in Older Adults: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2025Article
- Olfactory Impairment and the Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in Older Adults.Journal of the American Heart Association · 2024Article
- Olfactory identification, cognition, depressive symptoms, and 5-year mortality in patients with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease.Wiener medizinische Wochenschrift (1946) · 2024Article
- Impact of Olfactory Change on Postoperative Body Weight Loss in Patients with Gastric Cancer after Gastrectomy.Nutrients · 2024Article
- Olfaction and Mobility in Older Adults.JAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery · 2024Article
- Olfactory Dysfunction and Depression Trajectories in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2024Article
- The Association of Multiple Sensory Impairment and Telomere Length: The Health ABC Study.The Laryngoscope · 2023Article
- Factors Associated with Poor Olfaction and Olfactory Decline in Older Adults in the ARIC Neurocognitive Study.Nutrients · 2023Article
- Olfaction and Physical Functioning in Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2022Article
- Assessment of Self-reported Sense of Smell, Objective Testing, and Associated Factors in Middle-aged and Older Women.JAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery · 2022Article
- Changes in Body Composition Before and After Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis.Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPoor sense of smell in older adults may lead to weight loss, which may further contribute to various adverse health outcomes. However, empirical prospective evidence is lacking. We aimed to longitudinally assess whether poor olfaction is associated with changes in body composition among older adults.
methodsA total of 2,390 participants from the Health ABC Study had their olfaction assessed using the Brief Smell Identification Test in 1999-2000. Based on the test score, olfaction was defined as poor (0-8), moderate (9-10), or good (11-12). Total body mass, lean mass, and fat mass were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry annually or biennially from 1999 to 2007.
resultsAt baseline, compared to participants with good olfaction, those with poor olfaction weighed on average 1.67 kg less (95% CI: -2.92, -0.42) in total mass, 0.53 kg less (95% CI: -1.08, 0.02) in lean mass, and 1.14 kg less (95% CI: -1.96, -0.31) in fat mass. In longitudinal analyses, compared to participants with good olfaction, those with poor olfaction had a greater annual decline in both total mass (-234 g, 95% CI: -442, -26) and lean mass (-139 g, 95% CI: -236, -43). They also tended to have a greater annual loss of fat mass (-113 g, 95% CI: -285, 59), but the difference was not statistically significant.
conclusionsOur results indicate poor olfaction is associated with lower body weight and greater weight loss in older adults. It is imperative for future studies to investigate potential underlying mechanisms and associated adverse health consequences.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.