A Whiff of What’s to Come: What Sense of Smell Says About Health

Researchers from the University of Chicago asked 3,005 adults between the ages of 57-85 to suss out the citrusy scent of orange and the earthiness of leather, among other odors. Participants who did poorly on this smelling test were at a significantly higher risk of dying within five years than their counterparts with a normal sense of smell. Lead author Jayant Pinto discusses the findings, published this week in PLOS ONE, and explains what our sense of smell might say about the state of our overall health.