SynthesisAmerican journal of rhinology & allergy2021
The Prevalence of Olfactory Dysfunction in the General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Synthesis in American journal of rhinology & allergy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 99 papers, 9 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
99 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effect of glucocorticoids on smell sensation in patients with non-traumatic olfactory disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2026Pooled it
- Neurobiological mechanisms of olfactory dysfunction: a ten-year bibliometric and visualization analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Olfactory Impairment and Incident Cognitive Decline: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International forum of allergy & rhinology · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy of Omega-3 supplementation in olfactory dysfunction: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.BMC nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in COVID-19.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2022Pooled 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
- Prevalence of Smell or Taste Dysfunction Among Children With COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2021Pooled it
- Olfactory Sequelae of Nasal Surgeries: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-facialePooled it
- Epidemiology of olfactory dysfunction in China: a nationwide population-based cross-sectional study.Annals of medicine · 2026Article
- Blood-based biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease and olfactory decline over 15 years in older adults.GeroScience · 2026Article
- Remote Screening for Age-Related Olfactory Dysfunction Using the 4-Item Concise Aging Adults Smell Test.International forum of allergy & rhinology · 2026Article
- Age-related changes in olfactory function: electrophysiological recordings from the olfactory mucosa and human brain.npj aging · 2026Article
- Comparing Quality of Life in Smell and Taste Disorders With Other Chronic Conditions-A Narrative Review.Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery · 2026Review
- The Unmet Need of Olfactory Testing in Inflammatory Disorders of the Upper Airways-An EAACI Position Paper.Allergy · 2026Review
- Stimulating and Recording Brain Signals in an Olfactory Context: Non-Canonical Brain Structures May Contribute to Olfactory Processing - A Case Series.Brain topography · 2026Article
- Vitamin A-Containing Intranasal Drops Improve Odour Detection Threshold.ORL; journal for oto-rhino-laryngology and its related specialties · 2026Article
- Olfactory impairment associated with cognitive decline: findings from cognitive domain assessments among older adults in West Jakarta, Indonesia.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Therapeutic Effects ofLife (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Association between Objective and Subjective Olfactory Dysfunction in SARS-CoV-2-Positive Patients Undergoing Skull Base Surgery.Journal of neurological surgery. Part B, Skull base · 2026Article
39 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOlfactory dysfunction (OD) is common and has been reported as an early indicator of COVID-19. However, the reported prevalence of OD in the general population varies widely depending upon the metric used to assess olfaction.
resultsA total of 175,073 subjects were identified (mean age 63.5 years, range 18 to 101) with an overall OD prevalence of 22.2% (95% CI 14.8-30.6). OD prevalence was significantly greater using objective olfactory assessments, compared to subjective measures (28.8%, CI 20.3-38.2 versus 9.5%, CI 6.1-13.5, p < 0.001). The prevalence of OD was greater using expanded identification tests (>8 items) compared to brief test with ≤8 items (30.3%, CI 16.2-46.5 versus 21.2%, CI 12.3-31.8). Prevalence was higher in studies with a mean age greater than 55 years compared to those with a mean age of 55 years or less (34.5%, CI 23.4-46.5 versus 7.5%, CI 2.6-14.5, p < 0.001).
conclusionsThe reported prevalence of OD in the general population depends on the testing method and population age. OD prevalence was greater in studies using objective tests, expanded identification tests, and in those with older subjects.
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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.