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Taste and smell losses in normal aging and disease
Schiffman SS.. JAMA, 1997-10-01
Topic: Gut, metabolism and diet
Objective To review the scientific literature on the alterations in the senses of taste and smell in the elderly, including causes, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Data sources Original reports and reviews obtained through MEDLINE searches from 1966 through June 1997 using the MeSH headings of "taste," "taste buds," "taste disorders," "taste thresholds," "smell," "odors," "aged," and "aging." Articles frequently cited in reference lists were also included. Study selection All articles were reviewed, tabulated, and summarized. Data extraction Criteria for extraction included data quality and validity, statistical treatment of the data, venue of publication, and relevance to clinical care. Conclusion Losses of taste and smell are common in the elderly and result from normal aging, certain disease states (especially Alzheimer disease), medications, surgical interventions, and environmental exposure. Deficits in these chemical senses cannot only reduce the pleasure and comfort from food, but represent risk factors for nutritional and immune deficiencies as well as adherence to specific dietary regimens. Chemosensory decrements can lead to food poisoning or overexposure to environmentally hazardous chemicals that are otherwise detectable by taste and smell. Use of flavor-enhanced food can increase enjoyment of food and have a positive effect on food intake and immune status.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Schiffman, S. S. (1997). Taste and smell losses in normal aging and disease. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1997.03550160077042
Vancouver
Schiffman SS. Taste and smell losses in normal aging and disease. JAMA. 1997. doi:10.1001/jama.1997.03550160077042. PMID: 9343468.
BibTeX
@article{schiffman1997-9343468,
author = {Schiffman, S. S.},
title = {{Taste and smell losses in normal aging and disease}},
journal = {JAMA},
year = {1997},
doi = {10.1001/jama.1997.03550160077042},
pmid = {9343468},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1997.03550160077042}
}
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Key findings
- Conclusion Losses of taste and smell are common in the elderly and result from normal aging, certain disease states (especially Alzheimer disease), medications, surgical interventions, and environmental exposure.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 41/100
Published in a top-tier journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 24 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 41 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (JAMA) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1997 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 9343468) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 24 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 24 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 41 out of 100. |
| Total | 41 / 100 | — |
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