A university hospital institute (IHU) bringing together doctors and researchers to promote research in favor of “healthy aging” was launched on Tuesday in Toulouse. “The goal of this IHU is to move towards aging well, that is to say, keeping our functions to continue doing what is important for each of us,” explained Professor Bruno Vellas , its founding president, during its launch.
“We will live on average 30% of our lives after 60 years, and our societies have never been confronted with this phenomenon, it can be an opportunity if we experience this aging in an active, productive way, or a catastrophe if it continues to move massively towards dependence,” he added. The IHU should make it possible to “bring together research teams, those from Toulouse University Hospital, Paul-Sabatier University and Inserm”, around questions linked to aging, Jean-François Lefebvre told AFP. , general director of Toulouse University Hospital.
Twelve new centers in France
A “hundred researchers” are dedicated to the project for a current budget of “10 to 15 million euros” in order to place Toulouse “among the 4-5 major research centers in the world dedicated to this theme”. The Toulouse IHU called “HealthAge – geroscience & prevention” is one of the 12 new IHUs announced in May 2023 by the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, in addition to the seven already existing in France.
“It was in Toulouse that the first gerontopole certified by the Ministry of Health was created, here that the World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating center on aging and frailty was created and “The first institute on healthy longevity has now been created here,” said Bruno Vellas, emphasizing the need to improve preventive medicine for a healthier old age.