Biography
Biography: Quratulain Syed
Abstract
In older adults, disorders of taste and/or smell can affect appetite and oral intake and therefore affect the patient’s ability to maintain optimal nutrition. This can affect the individual’s strength, muscle mass, function, and quality of life. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2012 reported that more than 5% of the over 142 million US respondents experienced taste disorders and more than 10% experienced smell disorder in the past 12 months. Additionally, older adults are challenged by polypharmacy and multiple comorbid conditions, which can affect their ability to differentiate between various intensities or concentrations of a tastant, leading to an increased intake of salt, sugar and exacerbation of chronic diseases such as heart failure and diabetes.
Learning objectives: At the end of this session, attendees by be able to:
- Describe the prevalence and etiology of taste disorders.
- Describe the association between taste and smell disorders and how disorders of smell can affect perception of taste.
- Initiate work up and develop a treatment plan for patients presenting with taste disorders.