If you lose your sense of taste, you may be more likely to die prematurely

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-02-14 03:00

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Chinese and Swedish scientists say if you lose your sense of taste in adulthood, particularly for saltiness or sourness, you may be at risk of dying prematurely. The team followed 7,340 people, 662 of whom reported losing their sense of taste, for around six to seven years, during which time 1,011 deaths occurred, so the background chances of dying were 14%, or around one-in-seven people. In those who lost their sense of taste, the risk of dying during the study period was 47% higher, or around one-in-five.  The biggest increases in death risk were seen among both men and women who stopped being able to taste salty tastes, among men who stopped being able to taste sourness, and among women who stopped being able to taste bitterness. The increased risk of death was seen even among people who had lost their sense of taste, but whose sense of smell had remained intact. Taste loss could serve as a simple way of screening high-risk populations to determine who is at risk of dying prematurely, the experts conclude.