Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
11:39
The Goeckerman Regimen for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Psoriasis
Published on: July 11, 2013
Dermatological drug dosage in the elderly.
1University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Skin Therapy Letter
|October 7, 2006
Summary
As the elderly population grows, precise drug dosing is crucial for effectiveness and safety. This review offers evidence-based algorithms for adjusting medications, particularly in dermatology, to optimize geriatric patient care.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Pharmacology
- Dermatology
Background:
- The global elderly population is expanding, necessitating specialized approaches to pharmacotherapy.
- Age-related physiological changes can significantly alter drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
- Optimizing drug dosage in older adults is essential for maximizing therapeutic efficacy while minimizing adverse drug events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide evidence-based algorithms for adjusting drug dosages in the elderly population.
- To focus on drug and dosage adjustments specifically within dermatological practice.
- To enhance the safe and effective use of medications in geriatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of current evidence-based knowledge on geriatric drug dosing.
- Development of practical algorithms for medication adjustment.
- Emphasis on commonly prescribed dermatological agents for elderly patients.
Main Results:
- Established algorithms for modifying drug dosages based on age-related factors.
- Identified key considerations for efficacy and toxicity in geriatric dermatopharmacology.
- Provided a framework for evidence-based prescribing in elderly individuals.
Conclusions:
- The presented algorithms facilitate optimized drug and dosage adjustments for elderly patients.
- Implementing these guidelines can improve therapeutic outcomes and reduce toxicity in geriatric dermatological care.
- This overview serves as a valuable resource for clinicians managing medications in older adults.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
01:00Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...
01:22Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption
As individuals age, their body's physiology evolves, affecting drug pharmacokinetics. The most apparent changes occur in the gastrointestinal tract, where an increase in gastric pH, a delay in gastric emptying, and a reduction in gastrointestinal motility are observed. Remarkably, these changes do not substantially modify the absorption of orally administered drugs, particularly those absorbed via passive diffusion.Transdermal drug delivery emerges as a highly viable method for older adults due...
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism
Geriatric patients show significant variation in how their bodies process medications, which can change how effective and safe treatments are. The liver is the primary organ where drug metabolism occurs, involving two main types of chemical reactions: phase I and II. Phase I metabolism is driven by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, which includes key types such as CYP3A, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9. Research indicates that while aging doesn't notably alter the levels or activity of these enzymes, it...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion
In geriatric patients, renal physiology undergoes significant changes, including diminished renal blood flow and a lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR), leading to alterations in medication clearance. Drugs such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, lithium, and digoxin, which rely on glomerular filtration for removal from the body, particularly impact pharmacokinetics. These drugs tend to have slower clearance rates in older adults, necessitating careful dosage considerations.Evaluation of renal...