title: Disposition of drugs in the elderly.
abstract: Adverse drug reactions not only occur more frequently but are also of a more severe nature in the elderly. For warfarin and many of the psychoactive drugs, this is due mainly to an increased pharmacodynamic sensitivity to the actions of these drugs. For a number of other drugs, old age is associated with changes in their distribution and eventual elimination from the body. This increases the risk of a relative overdose during routine use of the drug. Such risks can be minimised by the judicious adjustment of the dosages of these drugs.
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000378:metabolism; D004077:Digoxin / Q000378:metabolism; D004232:Diuretics / Q000378:metabolism; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007700:Kinetics; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000378:metabolism; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D004232:Diuretics; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D004077:Digoxin; D008012:Lidocaine