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Comment by anitil | Hacker News Reader

I remember a podcast where I believe a lady could smell Alzheimers (or possibly Dementia) years before it showed any symptoms. I have no idea how real it is, but the ethical dilemma is similar. She decided never to tell anyone if my memory is correct

Found it! The ethical question isn't in the transcript as far as I can see, maybe my memory deceived me - https://www.npr.org/2020/03/23/820009335/invisibilia-an-unli...

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Yeah, she could smell Parkinson's. I believe it. Dogs can smell all sorts of things humans cannot, and it is possible that a human mutation could grant her such a gift (or curse).

My wife and I smell different scents with differing sensitivities, so I can believe it. (I still remember the smell of roaches from when I was a young child.)

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/23/8202745...

But then one day, about 10 years into the marriage, when Les was 31, he came home, and strangely, Joy says, he smelled different. "His lovely male musk smell had got this overpowering sort of nasty yeast smell," she says.

This smell observation has prompted the development of predictive tests for Parkinson's. New results eight days ago.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscentsci.2c01468

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/how-smelly-t-shirts-and-...

> But then one day, about 10 years into the marriage, when Les was 31, he came home, and strangely, Joy says, he smelled different.

This is interesting by itself. It suggests that part of the onset of Parkinson's involves a large, rapid change taking place somewhere.

There’s evidence that Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s may be due to viral infections or brain inflammation, and the plaques are evidence of the damage.

So possible that process begins suddenly. Whatever the cause you’re right that is quite interesting

Yesterday an article was published showing a strong link with trichloroethylene. Apparently some of Fort Bragg's drinking water was contaminated with it and the incidence of Alzheimer's among soldiers being present there was way high.

I can smell asparagus in pee so easily, no one else in the house can though - it's so funny and interesting.

IIRC for asparagus it's a common mutation to be able to smell it or not.

Asparagus, coffee, modafinil are all so easy to detect as smells in urine. Weird that some can't.

I can smell coffee, not sure how common that is, I have never asked anyone. :D

Really! My piss must really stink then... bzzzzz

Very

She actually says that telling it is the better idea [1]:

> She told BBC Scotland that not knowing Les had Parkinson's put her family in a "negative spiral".

> "What if we did know?," she said

> "It would have changed things dramatically.

[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-47627179

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