BACKGROUND: Sensory impairments increase with age and the majority of older people will experience a sensory impairment if they live long enough. However, the relationships of hearing, visual, and olfactory impairments with mortality are not well understood. METHODS: Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study participants (n = 2,418) aged 53-97 years (mean = 69 years) were examined in 1998-2000 and hearing, visual acuity, and olfaction were measured. Participants were followed for mortality for up to 17 years (mean = 12.8 years). Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between prevalent sensory impairments and the 15-year cumulative incidence of death. RESULTS: A total of 1,099 (45.4%) of participants died during the follow-up period. In age- and sex-adjusted Cox models, the risk of mortality was higher among participants with one (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.19, 1.64) or two or more (HR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.74, 2.58) sensory impairments than among participants with no sensory impairments. Olfactory impairment at baseline was significantly associated with mortality (HR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.52) after adjusting for age, sex, sensory comorbidities, cardiovascular risk factors and disease, cognitive impairment, frailty, subclinical atherosclerosis, and inflammatory marker levels (n = 1,745). Hearing and visual impairment were not associated with mortality after adjusting for subclinical atherosclerosis and inflammation. CONCLUSION: Olfactory impairment, but not hearing or visual impairment, was associated with an increased risk of mortality. These results suggest that olfactory impairment may be a marker of underlying physiologic processes or pathology that is associated with aging and reduced survival in older adults.
BACKGROUND: Sensory impairments increase with age and the majority of older people will experience a sensory impairment if they live long enough. However, the relationships of hearing, visual, and olfactory impairments with mortality are not well understood. METHODS: Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study participants (n = 2,418) aged 53-97 years (mean = 69 years) were examined in 1998-2000 and hearing, visual acuity, and olfaction were measured. Participants were followed for mortality for up to 17 years (mean = 12.8 years). Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between prevalent sensory impairments and the 15-year cumulative incidence of death. RESULTS: A total of 1,099 (45.4%) of participants died during the follow-up period. In age- and sex-adjusted Cox models, the risk of mortality was higher among participants with one (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.19, 1.64) or two or more (HR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.74, 2.58) sensory impairments than among participants with no sensory impairments. Olfactory impairment at baseline was significantly associated with mortality (HR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.52) after adjusting for age, sex, sensory comorbidities, cardiovascular risk factors and disease, cognitive impairment, frailty, subclinical atherosclerosis, and inflammatory marker levels (n = 1,745). Hearing and visual impairment were not associated with mortality after adjusting for subclinical atherosclerosis and inflammation. CONCLUSION: Olfactory impairment, but not hearing or visual impairment, was associated with an increased risk of mortality. These results suggest that olfactory impairment may be a marker of underlying physiologic processes or pathology that is associated with aging and reduced survival in older adults.
Authors: Elizabeth M Krantz; C R Schubert; D S Dalton; W Zhong; G H Huang; B E K Klein; R Klein; F J Nieto; K J Cruickshanks Journal: Chem Senses Date: 2009-04-10 Impact factor: 3.160
Authors: Claire Murphy; Carla R Schubert; Karen J Cruickshanks; Barbara E K Klein; Ronald Klein; David M Nondahl Journal: JAMA Date: 2002-11-13 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Carla R Schubert; Karen J Cruickshanks; Mary E Fischer; Barbara E K Klein; Ronald Klein; A Alex Pinto Journal: Age Ageing Date: 2015-06-16 Impact factor: 10.668
Authors: Karen J Cruickshanks; David M Nondahl; Ted S Tweed; Terry L Wiley; Barbara E K Klein; Ronald Klein; Rick Chappell; Dayna S Dalton; Scott D Nash Journal: Hear Res Date: 2009-10-22 Impact factor: 3.208
Authors: Bamini Gopinath; Julie Schneider; Catherine M McMahon; George Burlutsky; Stephen R Leeder; Paul Mitchell Journal: PLoS One Date: 2013-03-04 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Frederick Yoo; Zachary M Soler; Jennifer K Mulligan; Kristina A Storck; Jensine M Lamira; Whitney N Pasquini; Jonathan B Hill; Tegan E Noonan; Brandon J Washington; Rodney J Schlosser Journal: Int Forum Allergy Rhinol Date: 2019-08-23 Impact factor: 3.858
Authors: V Eloesa McSorley; Jayant Pinto; L Philip Schumm; Kristen Wroblewski; David Kern; Martha McClintock; Diane S Lauderdale Journal: Neuroepidemiology Date: 2017-07-26 Impact factor: 3.282
Authors: Dawn Konrad-Martin; Gayla L Poling; Angela C Garinis; Candice E Ortiz; Jennifer Hopper; Keri O'Connell Bennett; Marilyn F Dille Journal: Int J Audiol Date: 2017-11-20 Impact factor: 2.117