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    • The ADPS honours Professor Naim Khan for his work on malnutrition and taste impairment in older people

    The ADPS honours Professor Naim Khan for his work on malnutrition and taste impairment in older people

    L’Association de Prévoyance Santé (ADPS) has awarded its Research Prize to Professor Naim Khan, researcher and director of the Physiology, Nutrition & Toxicology team at the Inserm/University of Burgundy Europe unit in Dijon. This award highlights an ambitious research project dedicated to malnutrition and impaired taste perception in the elderly, two major public health issues.

    A growing challenge in the face of an ageing population

    In France, nearly 21% of the population is over 65 years of age. As they age, many people suffer from dysgeusia or ageusia — taste disorders that disrupt their ability to appreciate sweet, salty, bitter, sour or umami flavours. These alterations often lead to a loss of appetite, directly impacting quality of life and increasing the risk of malnutrition.

    Dysgeusia in older adults is multifactorial. Among the main causes are:

    • A decrease in the number of taste buds and taste receptors,

    • Hormonal changes associated with ageing, particularly an increase in hormones that suppress appetite,

    • A reduction in saliva production, which is essential for taste perception.

    In addition to these biological mechanisms, there are external factors such as drug treatments, neurodegenerative diseases, infections, and psychological influences such as depression and social isolation.

    The project led by Professor Naim Khan aims to explore in depth the mechanisms underlying taste alterations in older people. Thanks to an initial grant of €40,000 already provided by the ADPS, the team has been able to begin the first stages of research, focusing on:

    • Studying the oral ecosystem, in particular analysing oral microbiota and saliva, in order to better understand how these elements influence taste perception;

    • Exploring the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones, which play a key role in regulating appetite and are frequently disrupted with ageing.

    This initial funding will enable the team to put in place the tools, analyses and protocols needed to further explore these two key areas. The ultimate goal is to develop innovative therapeutic solutions capable of improving flavour perception and, consequently, food intake in older people.

    In total, the ADPS Research Prize represents financial support of €100,000, intended to support the entire scientific programme until its completion.