By being part ofa clinical trial
t participants may find out about
new treatments before they are
widely available. |
Wake Forest?
Baptist Health
Sticht Center on Aging
All Types of Participants Are Needed
People of different ancestry may also have different risk factors for disease and
may respond differently to treatment. The prevalence of certain conditions
and diseases also differ by ancestry. For example, older African Americans
are more likely to have high blood pressure and limitations in mobility than
their white counterparts. However, minorities are often underrepresented
in clinical research. This is in part due to past mistreatment of African
Americans in research studies.
Researchers are required to follow strict rules to make sure that participants
are safe. These rules are enforced by the Federal Government. Each clinical
trial also follows a careful study plan or protocol that describes what the
researchers will do. The principal investigator, or head researcher, is
responsible for making sure that the protocol is followed. A local Institutional
Review Board (IRB) made up of doctors, researchers, and people from the
community reviews every clinical trial to make sure that study participants
are not exposed to unnecessary risks.
Sticht Center on Aging
At the Sticht Center on Aging, we limit the scope of our research to older
adults (geriatric research). Geriatric research is important because
people are living longer today than ever before. A hundred years ago, people
lived an average of 53 years. Today, the average 65-year-old can expect to live
on into their mid-80s or beyond, and one in ten will live past 95. This longer
life expectancy means that the number of older adults in our nation has
dramatically increased so that those over age 65 are now the fastest growing
segment of the US population. Thus, the need to prevent age-related decline
in physical and cognitive function is now a major public health concern. This
is why geriatric research has never been more important than it is today.
Researchers know that it may be hard for some older people to join a
clinical trial. For those who are frail or have a disability, or no longer drive,
the Sticht Center provides transportation for volunteers to
make it easier to take part in a trial.
Please consider partnering with us to accomplish the
important work of geriatric research. By volunteering for one of
our studies, you serve not only the current generation, but future generations
as well.
Current Studies Focus On:
? Vitamin D
? Falls Prevention
? Heart Disease
? Blood Pressure
? Strength and Balance
? Physical Activity
? Weight Loss
? Nutrition
? Memory Loss
For information on current clinical trials and how to volunteer, go to
www.wakehealth.edu/Belnvolved/Search.aspx?area=Aging
or you can call 336-713-8539.