title: Olfactory function and malnutrition in geriatric patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Impaired olfaction is considered to be a risk factor for malnutrition in older adults; however, there is little research on this association. The aim of this study was to investigate whether olfactory deficits are associated with an impaired nutritional status in older patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study participants were recruited from a geriatric day hospital. Nutritional status was assessed with body mass index and Mini-Nutritional Assessment. Olfactory function was evaluated with the Sniffin' Sticks test (SST) and subjectively rated by the patient. Self-caring capacity was rated with the Barthel Index and cognitive status with the Mini-Mental State Examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred ninety-one patients, 71.7% female, were included with a mean age of 79.6 ± 6.3 years. Prevalence of hyposmia was 39.3%, and 31.9% of patients were functionally anosmic. Malnourished patients did not have a significantly lower Sniffin' Sticks test score than patients at nutritional risk or malnourished patients. In linear regression analysis, nutritional status was only influenced by Barthel Index, age, and number of drugs but not by olfactory function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this sample, olfactory function was not associated with nutritional status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, St.-Marien-Hospital Borken GmbH, Am Boltenhof 7, 46325 Borken, Germany. christine.smoliner@hospital-borken.de.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smoliner
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fischedick
authors.forename: Cornel C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Sieber
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wirth
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D019338:Polypharmacy; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012903:Smell / Q000187:drug effects
keywords: Nutritional status; Older adults; Olfactory dysfunction.