An EU funded project called PREDICT has examined the extent to which elderly people are excluded from clinical trials of drugs. From a review of published trials, they found evidence of exclusion: for example, mean age of participants in trials of antihypertensive drugs was 63, although 44% of people with hypertension are over 70 when first diagnosed.

The project researchers note that elderly people may respond differently to drugs, and they may also have multiple conditions and be taking other medication. They note that such factors make carrying out trials in the elderly more difficult, but not including them makes results unrepresentative of clinical practice. It is thus more difficult for doctors to practice evidence-based medicine.

Full information on PREDICT is available from the project website.