A new study has found that the loss of smell can be a predictor of increased risk of death within five years for older adults, according to Fox News.

Researchers in the U.S conducted a study on 3005 men and women aged 57 to 85 on their ability to identify five smells: rose, leather, orange, fish and peppermint, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

According to results of the study, which was published in the science journal PLOS ONE, 39% of the subjects who failed the smelling test died within five years. Those with moderate smell loss reportedly had a 19 percent death rate within five years while those with a healthy sense of smell had a 10 percent death rate.

"Compared to a person with a normal sense of smell, a person with an absent sense of smell has three times greater risk of dying within a five-year span," stated the study's lead author Dr. Jayant Pinto during a phone interview.

He added, "What this tells us is your sense of smell is a great indicator of your overall health."

Although loss of smell doesn't directly lead to death, Pinto has noted that it's "an early warning that something has gone badly wrong, that damage has been done."

"Our findings could provide a useful clinical test, a quick and inexpensive way to identify patients most at risk," stated Pinto.

The loss of smell can reportedly contribute to the risk of death as it leads to decreased appetites and leaves people vulnerable to accidents. Researchers reportedly stated that the loss of smell was better at predicting mortality than a diagnosis of heart failure, cancer or lung disease.

"It's one of the more minor of the senses and we notice it most when we have a very bad nasal infection, a cold, we get a blocked nose. Maybe now, people should start thinking a bit more about it because it could indicate if you have a permanent loss or ongoing lose, that there's something wrong with you," stated Dr. St John.