[The liver and aging. The effect of age on liver function and drug metabolism]

Theophylline (oxidative phase I metabolism) is biotransformed by the liver at an increasingly delayed rate with advancing age. Hymecromone (phase II metabolism) does not display any dependence of glucuronidisation on age. The indocyanine green half-life and the galactose elimination capacity show a highly significant dependence on age. Drugs with flow-limited elimination or mainly oxidative phase I biotransformation should be administered with reduced dosage level while monitoring the serum concentration levels. Drugs that are transformed via phase II reactions usually do not require dosage adjustment.