A recent Boston Globe article http://www.bostonglobe.com * noted for older patients the “cardiologist must develop a treatment plan despite little published evidence to guide his clinical decisions.”
““There are almost no data to guide cardiovascular disease management for people who are over 80 and relatively poor data for people over 70….“You have smart and caring doctors trying to practice evidence-based medicine, but there is little evidence.” “
While doctors and policymakers have long recognized that translating drugs from adults to children might not be as easy as halving the dose, and that the toxicities that are common in men might be different than in women, researchers say that the same understanding lags when it comes to older adults.”
“Clinicians are seeing these patients in the hospital or in the office and are, essentially, making extrapolations that may not be appropriate at all..,”
“Now, some doctors are looking to change policy. This past fall, a group of physicians….. sat before a group of FDA committee members to discuss why studying older patients is so important. This led to a public meeting last month, in which the FDA sought comments on how to improve age, sex, and ethnic diversity in clinical trials.”
* to read the full Washington Post article, “Oldest patients are often left out of drug trials” by Daniela J. Lamas, highlight and click on open hyperlink http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2014/05/11/oldest-patients-are-often-left-out-drug-trials/QFTW3R5KNOcZE33NlvOufN/story.html