Research highlights the serious impact of smell and taste impairment
Health-related quality of life for people with smell and taste disorders is comparable to that reported for other chronic conditions such as diabetes and stroke.
Our literature review led by Carl Philpott at the University of East Anglia compared the quality of life impact of smell and taste impairments with that of other chronic conditions, using standard questionnaires that measure people’s health-related quality of life.
We found that EQ-5D-5L and BDI scores for patients with smell and taste disorders are comparable to those reported for other chronic conditions, including diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular, respiratory and ENT disorders.
This helps demonstrate why these sensory impairments need far greater recognition by health systems, policymakers and funders than they are currently. Other chronic conditions we looked at have established treatment protocols, but effective therapies for smell and taste impairments remain limited, emphasising a critical gap in both research and care. SmellTaste continues to fight for improvements in both.
You can read the more here:
Comparing Quality of Life in Smell and Taste Disorders With Other Chronic Conditions – A Narrative Review
Glibbery N, Turner, Boak, D, Philpott, C
Clinical Otolaryngology, 2026
Abstract: https://doi.org/10.1111/coa.70119
