Olfaction and Muscle Strength in Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study

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ID: 313868
2026
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Abstract
Abstract Background Olfactory impairment is common in older adults and has been linked to weight loss and functional decline. This study aimed to examine whether olfactory impairment is associated with an accelerated decline in muscle strength among older adults. Methods We analyzed data from 2,348 participants (aged 71–82 years; 48.0% men; 37.5% Black) in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study. Olfactory function was assessed using the Brief Smell Identification Test at the Year 3 clinical visit (1999–2000) and categorized as good (scores 11–12), moderate (9–10), hyposmia (7–8), or anosmia (0–6). Participants were followed for up to 7 years. Grip strength and quadriceps strength were measured at clinical visits in Years 4, 6, 8, and 10. Results During follow-up, participants with anosmia experienced a faster decline in grip strength than those with good olfaction. The annual difference in decline was -0.19 kg/year (95% CI: -0.37, -0.01) for men and -0.21 kg/year (95% CI: -0.37, -0.05) for women. For quadriceps strength, men with anosmia had a greater annual decline (-1.26 Nm/year; 95% CI: -2.26, -0.26), whereas no statistically significant association was observed in women. Conclusions Anosmia in older adults is associated with accelerated decline in muscle strength. These findings suggest that olfactory impairment may serve as an early marker of neuromuscular aging. Further research is warranted to investigate the underlying mechanisms.
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Authors Rui Liu, H Z Chen, Chenxi Li, Anna Kucharska-Newton, Eleanor M Simonsick, Yaqun Yuan
Journal the journals of gerontology series a, biological sciences and medical sciences
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/gerona/glag125
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glag125
Keywords Keywords not found

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