Association of olfactory impairment and short telomere length: the smell of biological aging?

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Victoria van Regemorter - , Université catholique de Louvain (Author)
  • Kamar Bouchoucha - , Université catholique de Louvain (Author)
  • Philippe Rombaux - , Université catholique de Louvain (Author)
  • Marie Astrid Van Dievoet - , Université catholique de Louvain (Author)
  • Thomas Hummel - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (Author)
  • Anabelle Decottignies - , Université catholique de Louvain (Author)
  • Caroline Huart - , Université catholique de Louvain (Author)

Abstract

Background: Olfactory dysfunction is a common issue among the older population and has been associated with both frailty and increased mortality risk. Telomere length (TL), a marker of biological aging, may provide insights into these associations. This study investigates the relationship between TL and olfactory function in older adults. Methodology: We conducted a prospective observational study involving 138 participants aged 65 and above, recruited from a preoperative anesthesia clinic. Olfactory function was assessed using the Sniffin' Sticks test, and TL was measured in leukocytes using the Flow-FISH technique. Data analysis included comparisons between short TL (<10th percentile) and normal TL (≥10th percentile) groups, considering factors like age, sex, and frailty. Results: Short TL was found in 27.5% of participants. Those with short TL had significantly lower TDI (threshold, discrimination, identification) scores. Specifically, 46.2% of participants with a TDI score ≤10th percentile had short TL compared to 23.2% with higher TDI scores. Adjusting for frailty attenuated this relationship, indicating a shared biological component between olfactory function and TL. Conclusions: Our study reveals a significant association between lower olfactory function and shorter TL in older adults, suggesting that olfactory impairment may reflect underlying biological aging. Further research is needed to elucidate the complex interactions between olfactory function, TL, and frailty.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)67-74
Number of pages8
JournalRhinology
Volume64
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-9713-0183/work/206634717

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • aging, frailty, olfaction, telomere shortening