Main Argument - The industry emphasizes the importance of assessing the senses of taste and smell, as ignoring them can lead to missing critical parts of clinical presentations [6] - The industry suggests that smell loss can be an early sign of underlying health issues, particularly neurodegenerative conditions [6][17] - The industry advocates for incorporating smell tests into routine medical checkups to enable early detection and intervention [18] Research Findings - A study in Sweden following over 2500 participants for over a decade showed that the more odors a person missed, the greater the risk of serious health decline and increased mortality, with dementia explaining nearly 25% of the increased risk [8][10] - A 2019 study in the United States following over 2200 participants for up to 13 years found that those with poor smell at the start were nearly 50% more likely to experience a serious health decline within 10 years, and this risk jumped to 62% among people who felt perfectly fine at the start [11][12] Clinical Implications - Smell loss can be an early sign of conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, sometimes appearing years before other symptoms [17] - The industry recommends that if individuals notice a sudden and persistent change in their sense of smell, they should report it to their doctor [13]