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              Health Information
              Statistics And Epidemiology
  
      Quick Statistics About Taste and Smell


TasteAlmost 1 in 5 Americans (or 19%) over the age of 40 reports some alteration in their sense of taste.1The prevalence of reported alterations in the sense of taste increases with age, and is highest, at 27%, for people ages 80 years and older.1Risk factors include dry mouth, nose/facial injury, and cold or flu lasting more than a month in the past year.11 in 20 Americans (or 5%) reports experiencing dysgeusia [dis-GYOO-zee-a], a disorder characterized by distorted taste.1 This disorder is often persistent.Dysgeusia is more commonly reported in women (64% of reported cases).1Based on their genetics, certain people can taste the bitterness of phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) or a related substance called 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). In the United States, about 25% are super-tasters who describe PTC as extremely bitter, 50% are medium tasters of PTC, and 25% cannot taste PTC.2 Medium tasters and especially super-tasters tend to dislike more types of food, particularly if they are strongly flavored.3The ability to taste PTC/PROP varies around the world and among different ethnic and racial groups.2Compared to never smokers, dependent smokers (people who need to smoke within 30 minutes of waking) and chronic smokers (people who have smoked a pack daily for several years) reported lower sensitivity to bitter and salty tastes.4Among 138,897 COVID-19-positive patients, 39.2% reported taste dysfunction.5SmellNearly 1 in 4 Americans (or 23%) over the age of 40 reports some alteration in their sense of smell.1Rates increase in older populations and are highest for those over 80 years old, at 32%.1Risk factors include sinonasal symptoms (of the nose and sinuses), heavy drinking, previous loss of consciousness from head injury, poverty, and dry mouth.1Approximately 1 in 15 Americans (or 6.5%) over the age of 40 reports sometimes experiencing phantom odor perception. (The survey asked if participants smelled unpleasant, bad, or burning odors when nothing is there; not all phantom odor perception fits into this category.6)Women are more likely to report phantom odors, particularly if they are between the ages of 40 and 60, compared to above 60 years of age.7Those with a history of head injury or poor overall health are more likely to report phantom odors.6Approximately 1 in 8 Americans over age 40 (up to 13.3 million people, or 12.4% of the population) has measurable smell dysfunction.7Approximately 3% of Americans have anosmia (no sense of smell) or severe hyposmia (minimal sense of smell).7The prevalence of any type of smell impairment increases with age: 4% in Americans ages 40-49, 11% in Americans ages 50-59, 13% in Americans ages 60-69, 25% in Americans 70-79, and 39% in Americans ages 80 and above.7The prevalence of smell impairment is higher in men, ethnic minorities (non-Hispanic Black and Mexican American), and in those with lower educational attainment and/or family income.7On average, people with smell dysfunction eat a less healthy diet, with more saturated fats and added sugars.8SourcesRawal, S; Hoffman, HJ; Bainbridge, KE; Huedo-Medina, TB; Duffy, VB (2016): Prevalence and risk factors of self-reported smell and taste alterations: Results from the 2011–2012 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). *Chem Senses.* Jan;41(1):69-76. doi: 10.1093/chemse/bjv057.Guo, SW; Reed, DR (2001): The genetics of phenylthiocarbamide perception. *Annals of Human Biology.* Mar-Apr;28(2):111-42. doi: 10.1080/03014460151056310.Tepper, BJ (1998): 6-n-Propylthiouracil: A genetic marker for taste, with implications for food preference and dietary habits. *American Journal of Human Genetics*. Nov;63(5):1271-6. doi: 10.1086/302124.Berube, L; Duffy, VB; Hayes, JE; Hoffman, HJ; Rawal, S (2021): Associations between chronic cigarette smoking and taste function: Results from the 2013-2014 national health and nutrition examination survey. *Physiol Behav*. Oct 15:240:113554. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113554.Hannum, ME; Koch, RJ; Ramirez, VA; Marks, SS; Toskala, AK; Herriman, RD; Lin, C; Joseph, PV; Reed, DR (2023): Taste loss as a distinct symptom of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. *Chem Senses.* Jan 1:48:bjad043. doi: 10.1093/chemse/bjad043.Bainbridge, KE; Byrd-Clark, D; Leopold, D (2018): Factors associated with phantom odor perception among US adults: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. *JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg*. Sep 1;144(9):807-814. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2018.1446.Hoffman, HJ; Rawal, S; Li, CM; Duffy, VB (2016): New chemosensory component in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES): First year results for measured olfactory dysfunction. *Rev Endocr Metab Disord*. Jun;17(2):221-40. doi: 10.1007/s11154-016-9364-1.Rawal, S; Duffy, VB; Berube, L; Hayes, JE; Kant, AK; Li, CM; Graubard, BI; Hoffman, HJ (2021): Self-Reported Olfactory Dysfunction and Diet Quality: Findings from the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). *Nutrients.*Dec 20;13(12):4561. doi: 10.3390/nu13124561.
    Last Updated Date:
      March 4, 2024
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The Sense of Smell in U.S. Adults Over Age 40 COVID-19
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