Bridging the gap: ageing, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

Changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in elderly patients generally result in an increase in the incidence of drug toxicity and adverse drug reactions. Molecular alterations associated with ageing could bring about biological changes, a consequence of which is an altered response to pharmacological agents. Unfortunately, research in this area has yet to progress beyond the cataloguing of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes observed in the elderly. Therefore, real progress in our understanding of pharmacogerontology could be achieved if it were possible to merge pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies with recent advances in our understanding of the causal processes bringing about ageing changes at the cellular level. Therefore, this review will focus on the mechanisms of ageing in the hope that the information will be of value to those planning independent studies.