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Related Concept Videos

Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients01:15

Drug 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...
Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age01:27

Pharmacodynamics 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...
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism01:18

Pharmacokinetics 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...
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption01:22

Pharmacokinetics 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...
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution01:00

Pharmacokinetics 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...
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion01:18

Pharmacokinetics 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...

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Medication use among senior Canadians.

Pamela L Ramage-Morin1

  • 1Health Information and Research Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. Pamela.Ramage-Morin@statcan.gc.ca

Health Reports
|April 25, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Seniors frequently use prescription, over-the-counter, and alternative medicines. Medication use, especially multiple medications, is linked to health conditions in older adults, particularly those in long-term care.

Related Experiment Videos

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Public Health
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Seniors are significant users of various medicinal products, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) items, and natural/alternative therapies.
  • Data indicates high prevalence of medication use among seniors, with a notable distinction between those in institutional settings and those residing in private households.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the patterns of medication consumption among seniors.
  • To identify associations between medication use, multiple medication use, and morbidity in the elderly population.
  • To explore medication usage differences based on living arrangements and specific health conditions like Alzheimer's disease.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from the 1996/1997 (institutional) and 1998/1999 (household) National Population Health Survey.
  • Categorization of medication use into prescription, OTC, and natural/alternative products.
  • Statistical examination of the relationship between medication use, multiple medication use (defined as five or more different medications), and morbidity.

Main Results:

  • Nearly all seniors in long-term care (97%) and a majority in households (76%) reported current medication use.
  • Over half of institutionalized seniors (53%) and 13% of household seniors used multiple medications.
  • Medication and multiple medication use were significantly associated with morbidity. Frequent medication classes included those for the nervous system, alimentary tract/metabolism, and cardiovascular system.
  • Seniors in institutions with Alzheimer's disease were less likely to use multiple medications compared to those without the condition.

Conclusions:

  • Seniors are substantial consumers of a wide range of medicinal products.
  • The prevalence of multiple medication use is high among institutionalized seniors and is linked to health conditions.
  • Understanding medication patterns in seniors is crucial for managing health and preventing adverse outcomes, with specific considerations for conditions like Alzheimer's disease.