Leeanne Lovey stepped outside of her comfort zone in a bid to combat hereditary illness, as her mother had poor bone health coupled with a family history of diabetes.
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When she saw an advertised medical trial that explored how well probiotics could work as an intervention strategy for reducing bone loss in postmenopausal women, she thought, "why not?"
She spoke with The Senior to share her story about participating in clinical trials, as hundreds of thousands of them struggle to find participants, delaying possible medical breakthroughs and new treatments from emerging.
Leeanne, aged 63, of Bundoora, Victoria, was working at LaTrobe University when she saw the ProBone trial advertised in a corridor.
"I thought about it...as it was about bone health and as you age, everything goes a bit wobbly," she said.
Her family has a history of diabetes, her mother's bones "weren't too good" and she wanted to find out more information.
"I thought ... if it was something for my own benefit, and also for research, ... why not?"
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As part of the trial, she was given body density scans, plus tests for bloods, body mass index and other factors, plus a diet survey.
She took a tablet to take daily for a year. While she wasn't told if she got the placebo or the intended probiotic - typically not divulged until much later in the study process - she experienced no side effects.
"The study provided me with invaluable education on making simple dietary changes that can significantly improve my bone health," Leeanne said.
"I had access to medical tests that would have been cost-prohibitive otherwise, offering insights into my health that the average person might not have."
Recruitment is an issue affecting the nearly half a million clinical trials happening around the world, as typically about 80 per cent of them are delayed due to people not signing up to participate.
A new tool, named Evripath, allows GPs and pharmacists to learn about current clinical trials in their communities they can refer their patients to.
A recent survey showed only 16 per cent of Australians have engaged in clinical trials. Among the reasons people didn't participate in such trial included worries about possible side effects (57 per cent), an inconvenient trial location (44 per cent), and the time commitment required (32 per cent). Lesser mentioned reasons included concerns about being a "guinea pig" for new treatments (25 per cent) and the financial cost of participation (30 per cent).
International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated on May 20 each year, recognising the day that James Lind, a ship's surgeon in the British Royal Navy, started what is often considered to be the first randomised clinical trial.
It's not the first time The Senior has reported on a good success story from a trial; in February, we spoke to Leone Traeger about the MindEar tinnitus app, which she trialled in a testing form and saw great results in her condition.
