Can’t smell the roses? You may be at risk of dementia

Losing your sense of smell could be a sign that you are at risk of dementia.

Scientists have found that the ability to distinguish between different scents predicted the likelihood of elderly people to suffer cognitive decline.

The researchers said that the 20 per cent of people in a recent study with the worst sense of smell had double the chances of developing dementia five years later. They say their work shows that tests of smell could one day be used in diagnosing the condition.

In the long-term survey, scientists presented 3000 people older than 57 with five different odours: peppermint, fish, orange, rose and leather. The patients were then asked to identify them.

Of these, 78 per cent guessed at least four of the smells correctly, 14 per cent guessed three, 4 per cent guessed two, 2 per cent guessed one and 1 per cent guessed none.

Five years later, almost all those who could identify none of the smells had dementia, while 80 per cent of those who identified one or two smells had the same illness.

The scientists said this showed the close link between the olfactory nerve, which connects the nose to the brain, cognitive health.

Jayant Pinto, from the University of Chicago, said: ‘‘We think smell ability specifically, but also sensory function more broadly, may be an important early sign, marking people at greater risk of dementia.’’

At present it is difficult to diagnose dementia, particularly early on in the condition’s development. If smell is one of the first indications, possibly even coming before mild memory impairment, it could help GPs identify those at risk.

It could also provide clues to the progression of a disease that is still and people’s poorly understood.

‘‘We need to understand the underlying mechanisms so we can understand neurodegenerative disease and hopefully develop new treatments and preventative interventions,’’ Pinto said.

‘‘Loss of the sense of smell is a strong signal that something has gone wrong. This simple smell test could provide a quick and inexpensive way to identify those who are already at high risk.’’

James Pickett, head of research at British charity the Alzheimer’s Society, said the link would need to be better understood before it could be considered a useful tool.

‘‘We know that dementia can affect far more than just our memory,’’ he said. ‘‘This study adds to the growing body of evidence that suggests that someone’s sense of smell could be impacted in the early stages of dementia.

‘‘If they can be made more accurate, smell tests could be useful for detecting dementia, because they are less invasive. Currently, they aren’t as sensitive as biological measures such as examining spinal fluid.

‘‘As we age, it is common for people to experience changes to their senses, and people shouldn’t worry. If you notice changes to your sense of smell, it’s advisable to speak to your GP.’’ There’s no question that the data on gun deaths in the US is terrifying, and on a scale not seen in any other stable democracy. On average, 93 Americans are killed every day with a gun. Of those 93 deaths, seven are children and teens.

As if the hard data wasn’t already terrifying enough, this week we lived through a tragic tale of two toddlers injured with a handgun. What’s worse, the ‘‘assailant’’ was a toddler, too.

Dearborn, Michigan, population 94,000, is the eighth-largest city in the state and forms part of Detroit’s greater metropolitan area. Dearborn is poor. The poverty rate is just shy of 30 per cent. Dearborn is young. The median age is 33.

It was here, on a quiet residential street, that police descended on reporting that two 3-year-old boys had been accidentally shot by another 3-year-old, who had somehow located a loaded handgun in a family home that doubled as an unlicensed daycare facility. One child, shot in the shoulder, is in a stable condition. The other, shot in the face, is in a serious but stable condition.

The notion of toddlers with guns sounds like a sick joke. But in fact, toddlers shoot an American on average at least once a week. A satirical but deadly serious public service ad campaign promulgated by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence was released just last year, entitled ‘‘Guns don’t kill people, toddlers kill people’’.

And it’s not just toddlers. The US Department of Education has found that 65 per cent of school shootings are conducted with a firearm obtained from the shooter’s home or the home of a relative. Adam Lanza, the killer of 20 6- and 7-year-olds and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, used his mother’s weapons in the shooting spree.

Legislation requiring that guns be stored safely is sparse. Massachusetts is the only state that requires all firearms to be Adam Lanza, the killer of 20 6- and 7-year-olds and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School used his mother’s weapons in the shooting spree. use help police locate active shooters, which is why the vast majority of law enforcement organisations across America are fighting the bill.

The irony of it all is that proponents of the legislation argue that it’s justified as a – wait for it – health measure, because it would protect the hearing of gun owners.

The Second Amendment strongly protects the rights of gun owners against government intrusion. And if you’re for any of the US Constitution, you have to be for all of it.

But that same constitution promises the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Surely the avoidance of deadly weapons in the small, sweet, clammy hands of a toddler is a part of that greater guarantee.