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Older people are being excluded from the vast majority of trials to find treatments and a vaccine for COVID-19, according to a study.
About 9% of the world’s population is 65 or older, but this demographic has accounted for up to 40% of coronavirus cases and 80% of deaths.
People in that age group were reported to be absent in half of the US trials. COVID-19 treatments and all vaccine trials, the researchers found.
The risk that treatments are not suitable for those most affected by the pandemic increases.
The figures are from clinical trials registered with the US government between October 1, 2019 and June 1, 2020.
They are reported in a study in the Journal of Internal Medicine of the American Medical Association, which warns that treatments developed in trials could be ineffective or even toxic to older adults.
The team reviewed direct exclusions based on age, as well as exclusions that would preferentially affect older people, such as requiring smartphones to participate in the trial.
It follows another study published earlier this year that found that the majority of older people died from the disease I wouldn’t have died otherwise.
Dr Sharon Inouye, lead author of the study, said that while “some exclusions are needed to protect the health and safety of older adults, such as poorly controlled comorbidities,” this is not always applicable.
“How many are [exclusions] they are not well justified and appear to be more for the convenience or convenience of researchers, “said Dr. Inouye.
“We are concerned that the exclusion of older adults from clinical trials systematically limits our ability to assess the efficacy, dose, and adverse effects of COVID-19 treatments in this population.”
The research was conducted by scientists from Hebrew SeniorLife and the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Research on Aging.
