New research shows older adults are still often excluded from clinical trials
For years, researchers have called out a glaring gap in many clinical trials: Despite having far higher rates of many diseases, older adults are largely excluded from studies testing new therapies that might help them.
For how extensively experts have studied the issue of age disparities, though, it remains a significant problem — and one that has grown all the more pressing during the Covid-19 pandemic, given that the virus has hit older adults particularly hard. An analysis published this week found that older adults are likely to be excluded from more than half of Phase 3 Covid-19 trials on Clinicaltrials.gov — which could make it more difficult for researchers to evaluate doses, efficacy, and safety across all age groups.
