Rogers: Older adults should ask what clinical trials are testing, not just if they can help
Physicians argue that participation offers early access to new treatments and that drugs affect aging bodies differently than younger ones.
By James Foster ·
Dr. Rhea Rogers, a board certified physician, advises older adults to shift their focus from seeking personal cures to understanding the scientific objectives of clinical trials. She states that participants should ask what question the trial is trying to answer rather than assuming the study will solve their specific health issues.
Rogers contends that many patients mistakenly view trials as a final option after other treatments have failed. She explains that one of the primary benefits is immediate access to devices, therapies, and medicines that will not be available to the general public for years.
Aging expert Amy O'Rourke notes that older adults are frequently excluded from research, a gap she describes as making this demographic evidence free because their physiological responses are rarely studied. She points to the National Institutes of Health as a resource for finding trials that offer compensation to participants.
Gerontologist Sam Cradduck emphasizes that medication metabolizes differently in older bodies than in younger ones. Without including older adults in trials, she argues, the data remains incomplete and future prescriptions may lack necessary safety profiles for that age group. Cradduck notes that new medicines cannot receive approval without undergoing these studies.
Participants must enter trials with the expectation that they may receive a placebo instead of the active drug. O'Rourke advises that the goal is not a guaranteed cure but a contribution to the medical record. She observes that many clients feel a sense of hope and community support from the experience.
O'Rourke reports that clients involved in a local trial group accessed social workers, support groups, and community resources they had not previously known existed. She identifies this network of specialists and support as a major value for older participants, particularly those managing complex health conditions.
Cradduck addresses the common fear of being a guinea pig by explaining that any treatment reaching a trial phase has been thoroughly tested repeatedly. She reminds patients that adverse effects are possible with any prescribed medication, including those currently on the market.
