日前美國科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn),，可以通過測試嗅覺預(yù)測人的壽命。
美國芝加哥市魯斯大學(xué)醫(yī)療中心的科研人員發(fā)現(xiàn),，能夠分辨氣味種類越多的人,，其壽命可能就越長。研究人員招募了1000多名年齡在53歲到100歲的志愿者,，定期用12種相似氣味對(duì)他們進(jìn)行測試,，包括煙草、檸檬,、黑胡椒,、巧克力以及肉桂等物的氣味。在4年的跟蹤研究中,，有321人死亡,，占了所有志愿者的27.6%。研究人員驚訝地發(fā)現(xiàn),，那些只能分辨出12種氣味中的6種的人,，比能夠分辨出11種氣味的人死亡率高36%。
領(lǐng)導(dǎo)此項(xiàng)研究的羅伯特·威爾森說：“結(jié)果顯示,，人到老年時(shí)嗅覺能夠分辨相似氣味的多少,，與他們剩余壽命的長短有著聯(lián)系。我此前的研究也顯示,，嗅覺退化可能是某些神經(jīng)退化疾病,，比如老年癡呆癥的先兆。” （生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Chem. Senses (2011) 36 (1): 63-67. doi: 10.1093/chemse/bjq098
Odor Identification and Mortality in Old Age
Robert S. Wilson1,2,3, Lei Yu1,2 and David A. Bennett1,2
Abstract
The association of olfactory dysfunction with mortality was examined in 1162 older persons without dementia or Parkinson's disease. They completed a standard 12-item test of odor identification and then were followed for a mean of 4.2 years (standard deviation [SD] = 2.6, range: 0–9) during which 321 individuals died (27.6%). The relation of olfactory score to risk of death was assessed in a series of proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, education, and other covariates. Olfactory scores ranged from 0 to 12 correct (mean = 9.0, SD = 2.2). In an initial analysis, risk of death decreased by about 6% for each additional odor correctly identified (hazard ratio = 0.94; 95% confidence interval: 0.90, 0.98). Thus, mortality risk was about 36% higher with a low score (6, 10th percentile) compared with a high score (11, 90th percentile). The association persisted in subsequent analyses that controlled for naming ability, disability, cerebrovascular disease, characteristic patterns of leisure activity, depressive symptoms, and apolipoprotein E genotype. The results indicate that difficulty identifying familiar odors in old age is associated with increased risk of death.
