Association of alcohol use with olfactory function among older adults

Olfactory dysfunction (OD) has been recognized as an early biomarker for neurodegenerative diseases. Identifying behaviours that increase the risk of OD is crucial for early recognition of neurogenerative diseases. Alcohol consumption can potentially impact olfaction through its neurotoxic effects. A study examined the relationship between alcohol consumption and OD, using data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP).
A cross-sectional study was conducted on data for 2,757 adults from Round 1 of NSHAP. OD was defined as correctly identifying 0-3 odours in the 5-item Sniffin’ Sticks test while normal olfactory function was defined as correctly identifying 4-5 odours. The association between alcohol consumption and OD was examined, controlling for age, race, and comorbidities.
OD was present in 23.1 % of adults. The average age among those with OD was 71.2 ± 7.8 years, compared to 66.9 ± 7.2 years in those with normal olfaction. In terms of alcohol consumption, 31.1 % of adults with OD were light-to-moderate drinkers and 7.7 % were heavy drinkers, compared to 35.6 % light-to-moderate and 7.7 % heavy drinkers in the normal olfaction group. After adjusting for age, gender, race, and education, neither light-to-moderate drinking (aOR: 0.99; 95 % CI: 0.76-1.29) nor heavy drinking (aOR: 1.24; 95 % CI: 0.83-1.85) were significantly associated with OD.
Alcohol consumption was not associated with OD after controlling for covariates. While this study provides insight into the relationship between alcohol consumption and OD, further research is needed due to conflicting results in previous studies, the researchers say.
Source: Suleiman KT, Chiu RG, Nyenhuis SM, Eldeirawi K, Lee VS. Association of alcohol use with olfactory function among older adults. Am J Otolaryngol. 2024 Jul-Aug;45(4):104271.