Which senses decline the most as we age? Public health and gerontology researchers from the University of Chicago (USA) investigated whether there was a general trend of deterioration in seentouch,hearing, smell and taste in the elderly. They were interested in 2,968 people aged 57 to 85, still living in their own homes and interviewed during a large public opinion survey (National Opinion Research Center or NORC) in 2005-2006. Their results, published in the journal Journal of the American Geriatrics Societyshow that after age 57, two-thirds of adults show sensory decline, “a critical element of the health and quality of life of seniors”according to the authors of the study.
Taste and touch, main senses affected
The researchers conducted an interview with the participants. Then the latter had to carry out a series of biological measurements at home, including olfactory, taste and hearing tests. More than half of the participants (1,506 people) also underwent vision and touch tests. Taste was found to be the sense most affected by aging, with 74% of participants showing taste decline. In second place: touch, the decline of which affects 70% of these people. The numbers are lower for the other three senses, with 22% decline for smell, 20% for sight and 18% for hearing.
And the declines often add up. Thus, 38% of participants are bothered by a deterioration of two senses, and 28% of three senses or more.
A deterioration in the quality of life
“Because of the critical nature of these sensory modalities in daily life, the results of multisensory loss may explain, in part, why seniors report a deterioration in their quality of life.” underline the authors of the study. These researchers also evoke a link between sensory decline and physical and physiological fragility, such as weightlossthem falls and decreased physical activity. Emphasis should be placed on the prevention and screening of the decline of all the senses, especially for people who already have an alteration in one of the five senses, recommend the authors of the study.
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