title: Loss of olfactory function and nutritional status in vital older adults and geriatric patients.
abstract: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the association of olfactory function and nutritional status in vital older adults and geriatric patients. Three hundred forty-five vital (mean age 67.1 years) and 138 geriatric older adults (mean age 80.9 years) were included. Nutritional status was assessed using the mini nutritional assessment-short form. The Sniffin' Sticks was used to measure olfactory function. Eleven percentage of the vital older adults were at risk of malnutrition, whereas 60% of the geriatric participants were malnourished or at risk. Only 2% of the vital older adults were anosmic, compared with 46% of the geriatric participants. Linear regression demonstrated a significant association (P = 0.015) between olfactory function and nutritional status in the geriatric subjects. However, this association became insignificant after adjustment for confounders. Both crude and adjusted analysis in the vital older adults did not show a significant association. The results indicate that, in both groups of elderly, there is no direct relation between olfactory function and nutritional status. We suggest that a decline in olfactory function may still be considered as one of the risk-factors for malnutrition in geriatric patients-once co-occurring with other mental and/or physical problems that are more likely to occur in those patients experience.
authors: Department of Dietetics, Slotervaart Hospital, Louwesweg 6, 1066 EC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Toussaint
authors: Department of Dietetics, Slotervaart Hospital, Louwesweg 6, 1066 EC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Margot
authors: M
authors: de Roon
authors: Department of Geriatrics, Slotervaart Hospital, Louwesweg 6, 1066 EC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Jos P C M
authors: JP
authors: van Campen
authors: Consumer Science & Health, Food & Biobased Research, Wageningen UR, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands and.
authors: Stefanie
authors: S
authors: Kremer
authors: Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands sanne.boesveldt@wur.nl.
authors: Sanne
authors: S
authors: Boesveldt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: ageing; geriatric; malnutrition; olfaction