Clinical Research

New strategy aims to enhance recruitment for Alzheimer's disease clinical studies

We’ve seen substantial expansion of our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in recent years. But we still have a long road to travel. One of the biggest hurdles in our path is recruitment and retention of participants in clinical studies for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Save the Date! Workshop on osteoporotic drugs and prevention

Sticks and stones aren’t the only things that can break your bones—osteoporosis is also a main cause. In fact, 50 percent of women and 20 percent of men over age 50 will break a bone because of low bone mass or poor bone quality. To better understand current knowledge gaps in osteoporosis research and identify future needs in using osteoporosis drugs, NIH is hosting a Pathways to Prevention (P2P) Workshop: Appropriate Use of Drug Therapies for Osteoporotic Fracture Prevention.

A sure sign of spring - The AGS annual meeting!

We’re looking forward to attending the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society, May 3–5, in Orlando, Florida. NIA and the AGS Research Committee are offering two symposia—one for junior researchers new to aging and one for senior researchers. We hope to see you in Orlando.

GEMSSTAR Scholars focus on how cognitive impairment intersects with their specialties

On March 25–27, the NIA welcomed current and former grantees from more than 26 medical and surgical specialties, along with mentors who are leaders in aging research within their specialties, to the third biennial meeting of GEMSSTAR (Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists' Transition to Aging Research) Scholars. The meeting featured a combination of aging-themed presentations, Scholars’ posters, career development training, and networking opportunities.

Seeking your ideas for ways to enhance recruitment and retention of Alzheimer's disease study participants

It’s hard to recruit people for clinical research these days. And that is doubly true if the topic is Alzheimer’s disease and its related dementias. Recruiting volunteer participants is a primary, persistent bottleneck that poses unique challenges to clinical trials researchers.

A new era of clinical trials in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

You may have already heard that the NIA has awarded a new cooperative agreement establishing the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trial Consortium (ACTC). We expect the ACTC to accelerate and expand studies for therapies in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. We hope you’ve also heard that the funding opportunity for ACTC trials is open. The first submission date for applications is March 29 and we strongly encourage interested investigators to reach out to the ACTC leadership and NIA well in advance.

Older adults may not want to talk about it. But we do!

It’s one of those things that no one really wants to talk about. People are often uncomfortable and embarrassed to mention it to their physician or other primary care provider. It’s also one of the most common medical conditions among older people, affecting more than half of women and more than a quarter of men age 65 and older, according to the CDC. Yes, we’re talking about urinary incontinence.

CALERIE Research Network builds new opportunities in aging research

CALERIE? Yes, CALERIE, not CALORIE. (And, yes, we do know how to spell here at NIA!) On September 7, 2017, NIA’s Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology and the CALERIE Research Network will host a workshop where information about datasets and stored biospecimens from the CALERIE trial will be introduced to investigators. The workshop’s goal is to learn more about how restricting our calories affects our underlying biology.

Let's talk about inclusion of all ages in research

On June 1-2, 2017, the NIH will convene a workshop, “Inclusion Across the Lifespan,” in Bethesda, MD. Its goals are to broaden our understanding of the effect of age-related eligibility restrictions on clinical studies and trials, and to identify barriers and facilitators to the inclusion of volunteers of all ages in research.

A crash course for clinical specialists

On September 21–23, 2016 almost 100 physicians and researchers attended the second biennial GEMSSTAR Scholars Conference, “Models and Studies of Aging,” here in Bethesda. The meeting was sponsored by a U13 conference grant from the NIA to the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), with additional support from the John A. Hartford Foundation.