Unexpected Harbinger of Heart Disease Discovered 0 7

Diminished sense of smell in older adults may be an early marker of increased risk for ischemic heart disease. This is stated in a study by researchers from Michigan State University, published in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

Analysis of data from more than 5,000 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study showed that individuals with poor olfactory function had about twice the likelihood of heart attacks in the following years compared to those who maintained their ability to distinguish smells. The connection was particularly pronounced in the early years of observation and then gradually weakened.

According to the researchers, a decline in the sense of smell may reflect underlying vascular and inflammatory processes associated with damage to nerve pathways and endothelium. Medical professionals recommend viewing a sudden decrease in the ability to smell not as a harmless age-related feature but as a signal to undergo cardiovascular system examination.