A poor sense of smell has been linked to an early death, according to a new study.

Older adults who were unable to recognise or distinguish between common scents are 50% more likely to die over a 10-year period than others with sharp noses.

The researchers suggest smell tests could become a routine part of GP visits as an impaired sense of smell could be an early flag of illness.

Dr Honglei Chen, from Michigan State University, explained: “Poor sense of smell becomes more common as people age, and there’s a link to a higher risk for death.