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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 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...
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 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...

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Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
06:52

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Published on: September 30, 2020

Medications affecting functional status in older persons.

Andrea Corsonello, Graziano Onder, Marcello Maggio

  • 1Unit of Geriatric Pharmacoepidemiology, Research Hospital of Cosenza, Italian National Research Center on Aging (INRCA), C. da Muoio Piccolo, I-87100 Cosenza, Italy. andrea_corsonello@tin.it.

Current Pharmaceutical Design
|September 21, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Medications significantly impact older adults' functional status, with some drugs causing decline and others offering improvements. Careful prescribing, especially for central nervous system agents, is crucial to maintain physical function in elders.

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Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Clinical Pharmacology
  • Pharmacoepidemiology

Background:

  • Functional status is a key outcome in older adults' pharmacologic treatment.
  • Medications exhibit varied effects on functional status, ranging from detrimental to beneficial.
  • Suboptimal prescribing and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) can negatively impact physical function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the diverse impacts of drug medications on functional status in older persons.
  • To examine evidence on medications that may cause functional decline.
  • To explore drugs that may slow or delay functional decline, particularly those targeting sarcopenia.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of current evidence on pharmacologic treatments and functional status in older adults.
  • Analysis of studies reporting both detrimental and beneficial effects of medications.
  • Focus on specific drug classes, including central nervous system agents and treatments for sarcopenia.

Main Results:

  • Central nervous system (CNS) drugs like benzodiazepines and antipsychotics are associated with increased risk of functional decline in older adults.
  • Older individuals' heightened sensitivity and age-related pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic changes increase risks with CNS agents.
  • Drugs targeting sarcopenia, such as testosterone, ACE-inhibitors, vitamin D, HMB, and SARMs, show potential for improving or maintaining muscle mass and strength.

Conclusions:

  • Pharmacologic interventions have a complex and varied impact on the functional status of older adults.
  • Cautious prescribing of CNS agents is essential due to potential detrimental effects on functional decline.
  • Targeted therapies for sarcopenia represent a promising avenue for preserving physical function in the elderly.