Strangely, researchers say your sense of smell might hint at your time of death. A 2014 study focused on olfactory dysfunction as a death sign. It claimed loss of smell predicts nearing death better than lung disease, cancer, or heart failure.
Lead author Dr. Jayant Pinto compares it to a canary in a coal mine—an early warning. The study tested 3,005 U.S. seniors’ ability to identify five scents: peppermint, fish, orange, rose, and leather.
Of the participants, 78% identified correctly and had normal smell; 20% with two or three right had major smell loss; 3.5% struggling to identify any or one had significant loss. Of the dead, 39% had notable smell loss after five years, suggesting a link between smell loss and death.
Though a damaged olfactory system doesn’t directly cause death, researchers think reduced smell might mean the body can’t restore key parts well, contributing to death from other causes. The study says smell impairment might show slower cell regeneration or years of environmental damage.