Challenges and practical recommendations for successfully recruiting inactive, statin-free older adults to clinical trials.

Objectives: To outline the challenges and provide practical recommendations for recruiting inactive, statin-free older adults to facilitate feasible study designs. Data was obtained from a double-blind randomised-controlled clinical trial investigating the effects of acipimox versus placebo on muscle function and metabolism in older (65-75 years), inactive, statin-free males. The initial recruitment target was 20 volunteers within 12 months (November 2016-November 2017).

Clinically available iron chelators induce neuroprotection in the 6-OHDA model of Parkinson's disease after peripheral administration.

The iron content of the substantia nigra pars compacta increases in the brains of Parkinson's disease patients. Hence, its removal by iron chelators may retard the progression of the disease. However, information on the ability of clinically available iron chelators to cross the blood brain barrier and be neuroprotective is limited.