Title: Randomized Controlled Drug Trials on Very Elderly Subjects: Descriptive and Methodological Analysis of Trials Published Between 1990 and 2002 and Comparison With Trials on Adults
Abstract: Background. Very elderly subjects (VES; aged 80 years or older) constitute a special population as they frequently present multiple diseases (polypathology). Results from trials on general adult populations therefore cannot be extrapolated to VES. We performed a census of randomized controlled trials (RCT) on VES published between 1990 and 2002, and carried out a descriptive and methodological analysis of these RCT/VES, comparing them with matched RCT on general adult populations (control RCT, RCT/C).