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Cao Z, Yang A, White AJ, Purdy F, Li C, Luo Z, D’Aloisio AA, Suarez L, Deming-Halverson S, Pinto JM, Chen JC, Werder EJ, Kaufman JD, Sandler DP, Chen H. Ambient Air Pollutants and Olfaction among Women 50-79 Years of Age from the Sister Study. Environ Health Perspect 2023; 131:87012. [PMID: 37594315 PMCID: PMC10436839 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Poor olfaction is common in older adults and may have profound adverse implications on their health. However, little is known about the potential environmental contributors to poor olfaction. OBJECTIVE We investigated ambient fine particulate matter [PM ≤ 2.5 μ m in aerodynamic diameter (PM 2.5 )] and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) in relation to poor olfaction in middle-aged to older women. METHODS The Sister Study is a nationwide cohort of 50,884 women in the United States with annual average air pollutant exposures estimated based on participants' residences from enrollment (2003-2009) through 2017. This analysis was limited to 3,345 women, 50-79 years of age as of January 2018, who completed the Brief Smell Identification Test (B-SIT) in 2018-2019. Poor olfaction was defined as a B-SIT score of ≤ 9 in the primary analysis. We conducted multivariable logistic regressions, accounting for covariates and study sampling design. RESULTS Overall, we found little evidence for associations of air pollutants with poor olfaction. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of poor olfaction for each interquartile range (IQR) increment of air pollutants in 2006 were 1.03 (95% CI: 0.91, 1.17) for PM 2.5 (per 3.3 μ g / m 3 ) and 1.08 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.22) for NO 2 (per 5.7 ppb ). Results were similar in the analyses using the most recent (2017) or the cumulative average (2006-2017) air pollutant exposure data. Secondary analyses suggested potential association in certain subgroups. The OR per IQR was 1.35 (95% CI: 1.11, 1.65) for PM 2.5 among younger participants (< 54.2 years of age) and 1.87 (95% CI: 1.29, 2.71) for NO 2 among current smokers. DISCUSSION This study did not find convincing evidence that air pollutants have lasting detrimental effects on the sense of smell of women 50-79 years of age. The subgroup analyses are exploratory, and the findings need independent confirmation. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12066.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zichun Cao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Aiwen Yang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Alexandra J. White
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Frank Purdy
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Chenxi Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Zhehui Luo
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Aimee A. D’Aloisio
- Social & Scientific Systems, DLH Holdings Corporation, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lourdes Suarez
- Social & Scientific Systems, DLH Holdings Corporation, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Jayant M. Pinto
- Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Emily J. Werder
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joel D. Kaufman
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine (UW Medicine), Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Medicine, UW Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, UW Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Dale P. Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Honglei Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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Purdy F, Luo Z, Gardiner JC, Pinto JM, Shiroma EJ, Simonsick EM, Harris TB, Chen H. Olfaction and Changes in Body Composition in a Large Cohort of Older U.S. Adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2021; 75:2434-2440. [PMID: 32267924 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glaa085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Poor sense of smell in older adults may lead to weight loss, which may further contribute to various adverse health outcomes. However, empirical prospective evidence is lacking. We aimed to longitudinally assess whether poor olfaction is associated with changes in body composition among older adults. METHODS A total of 2,390 participants from the Health ABC Study had their olfaction assessed using the Brief Smell Identification Test in 1999-2000. Based on the test score, olfaction was defined as poor (0-8), moderate (9-10), or good (11-12). Total body mass, lean mass, and fat mass were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry annually or biennially from 1999 to 2007. RESULTS At baseline, compared to participants with good olfaction, those with poor olfaction weighed on average 1.67 kg less (95% CI: -2.92, -0.42) in total mass, 0.53 kg less (95% CI: -1.08, 0.02) in lean mass, and 1.14 kg less (95% CI: -1.96, -0.31) in fat mass. In longitudinal analyses, compared to participants with good olfaction, those with poor olfaction had a greater annual decline in both total mass (-234 g, 95% CI: -442, -26) and lean mass (-139 g, 95% CI: -236, -43). They also tended to have a greater annual loss of fat mass (-113 g, 95% CI: -285, 59), but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate poor olfaction is associated with lower body weight and greater weight loss in older adults. It is imperative for future studies to investigate potential underlying mechanisms and associated adverse health consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Purdy
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing
| | - Zhehui Luo
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing
| | - Joseph C Gardiner
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing
| | - Jayant M Pinto
- Section of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, The University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Sciences, Illinois
| | - Eric J Shiroma
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Science, Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Eleanor M Simonsick
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Science, Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Tamara B Harris
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Science, Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Honglei Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing
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