Sniffing Out Alzheimer's

A study funded by the National Institutes on Aging found that people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease consistently could not identify 10 odors:

Researchers said that testing whether patients could detect these scents is as effective as more expensive procedures to detect Alzheimer's disease, and the scent test takes less time than many other screening tools.

This simple sniff test could help patients get an early diagnosis and early treatment, which may help slow the progression of the disease.

The National Institute on Aging says Alzheimer's typically starts after a person turns 60, and the number of people with the disease doubles every five years after age 65.