It is a symptom widely popularized during the Covid-19 pandemic: the loss and disorders of smell. These olfactory disorders are often considered a minor inconvenience, but “may actually be an early sign of various neurological diseases and bodily”.
Indeed, researchers from the University of California at Irvine, in the United States, estimate that olfactory loss, when associated with inflammation, could be linked to 139 pathologies, such as maladies d’Alzheimer et Parkinson’s. Researchers emphasize the importance of smell for maintaining good physical and mental health. Their results are published in Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience.
Smell disorders are associated with 139 diseases
To arrive at these conclusions, the researchers analyzed 139 pathologies associated with both olfactory loss and increased inflammation. These were classified into three large groups:
- neurological diseases (in the brain and nervous system);
- somatic diseases (which relate to the body);
- congenital and hereditary diseases (present at birth or linked to heredity).
The list of diseases studied is very broad, and includes heart diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and even depression and anxiety. “It was difficult to find studies on so many pathologies”, acknowledges Professor Emeritus Michael Leon, who led the study.
The researchers note that “olfactory loss, which often precedes pathologies such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, can serve as an early indicator of disease onset, allowing for more proactive therapeutic approaches.”
Stimulating the sense of smell could prevent some of these diseases
Smell plays an important role in staying healthy. And according to researchers, olfactory enrichment, that is to say physical exercise and exposure to various smells, could help protect against some of these diseases. Based on previous research, Michael Leon explains that olfactory enrichment can improve the memory of older people by 226%.
In their conclusions, the authors note “that because pleasant odors can reduce harmful inflammation, it seems possible that olfactory enrichment could reduce symptoms of other medical disorders.” Also, according to them, “This finding could have key implications for alleviating symptoms and perhaps even reducing the onset of certain diseases through therapeutic olfactory stimulation.”
Sources :
- Inflammation and olfactory loss are associated with at least 139 medical conditions – Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience – 11/10/2024
- Smell loss linked to 100-plus diseases in new UC Irvine study – ‘University of California at Irvine, United States – 10/29/1014
