Walliczek-Dworschak U, et al. - Considering that rheumatic disorders are accompanied by reduced chemosensory function, researchers sought to specifically assess this problem in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Chemosensory measurements comprised of olfactory testing utilizing the “Sniffin’ Sticks” test battery (with odor thresholds, odor discrimination and odor identification; OT, OD, OI) and gustatory testing on a suprathreshold and a quasi-threshold level utilizing “taste sprays” and “taste strips”, respectively. Furthermore, inflammatory markers (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein) and RA autoantibodies (anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides, RA factors) have been assessed. Study participants included 212 RA patients (mean age 59 ± 13.3 years) and 30 healthy controls ( mean age 40 ± 15.3 years). According to results, olfactory measurements exhibited 4% of the RA patients functionally anosmic and 40% hyposmic. RA patients scored significantly lower in suprathreshold olfactory tests (OD, OI) vs controls. Also, RA patient had reduced taste function vs healthy people. The chemosensory function was not associated with parameters related to the severity of the disease. Chemosensory function (taste, OD and OI) seems to decline in patients with RA. OT, on the other hand, was unaffected. Changes in chemosensory function tend to be independent of disease parameters like duration of disease or disease activity.