Sniff Test Predicts Dementia Developing Within Five Years, University of Chicago Study Reveals

A simple, validated "sniff" test can help to predict the likelihood that an individual will develop dementia within the next 5 years, irrespective of other risk factors, according to the results of a long-term study by researchers at the University of Chicago. The study, involving nearly 3000 adults aged 57 to 85 years, found participants who couldn’t identify at least four out of five common odors were more than twice as likely as to develop dementia within the next five years as participants who could identify all five scents.