Each May, we celebrate Older Americans Month to honor the seniors in our lives and celebrate their vital contributions. The platform also helps communities give back by providing education on the health issues prevalent in older Americans and ways to maintain their health and independence. Innovations in healthcare options are a crucial part of these initiatives and why clinical research is important for older populations.
Age is One of Many Diversities Vital to Research
As miraculous and complex as the body is, as we increase in age, so does our risk and susceptibility to certain medical conditions. It’s not like a new car off the lot anymore, and the many miles we’ve traveled begin to show. When parts wear out, it’s not like you can replace them. And even though younger age groups face many of the same conditions, time also changes how we are affected by them and how we respond to treatments.
This is one of the many examples of why diversity is so important in clinical trials, and we’re not just talking about race and ethnicity. Diversity means the inclusion of all groups, including:
- Age
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Gender
By doing so, we can adequately evaluate the effect a condition has on different populations. We can use this information to build safer, more effective treatment pathways versus a one-size-fits-all approach.
We asked our owner, CEO, and principal investigator virtuoso, Dr. James Clark, his thoughts about the importance of keeping elderly populations at the forefront of clinical research trials:
“Older patients typically have the most medical problems. As a result, requiring clinical research to focus its effort on this population by improving and preventing medical conditions in the elderly. We strive to improve their lives by lessening the impact of illness and diseases on their overall well-being by extending their lives with vaccines and other preventative medications. The elderly have given so much to all of us; we need to give back to them.”
Advancing Medicine with Duty and Passion
” As an Internist of 25 years, I saw how the older population was often faced with challenges and difficulties surrounding their medical conditions. These challenges stem from the fact that as we get older, we face a growing number of medical problems, conditions are more advanced, and treatments are limited or not tolerated. Despite being in their “golden years,” chronic conditions prevent people from being more active, and this is where clinical research comes in.
Every day, we are looking at new options for treatment as we learn more about the underlying causes. These safer and more effective treatments not only give hope to older people, but they also provide hope for a better quality of life and improved longevity.”-Dr. Clark
Our list of enrolling studies here at Charlottesville Medical Research is a testament to this dedication. We’d love to talk with you more about participating in research studies and if any of our trials may be a fit. Contact us today at 434-817-2442 or visit our website to view a listing of enrolling studies with a brief summary of each.
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