title: [Drug therapy in the old age. Drug effects in the elderly].
abstract: The frequency of multimorbidity in elderly patients may mislead the physician into practicing polypragmasy (polypharmacy), resulting in unpredictable drug interactions. Such interactions are a quite common cause of hospitalization in geriatric patients. Pharmacokinetics are often altered in the aged, and individualized medication should take into consideration not only the patient's age, liver and kidney function, but also the individual variability of hepatic metabolism and drug absorption from the gastrointestinal tract dictated by genetic polymorphism. Drug treatment in the elderly should always be carefully assessed as to its risks and benefits, and, where indicated, certain medications should be replaced by or omitted.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Klinische Pharmakologie, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Fakultät für Klinische Medizin Mannheim.
authors.forename: C U
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peiter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feuring
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wehling
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D000892:Anti-Infective Agents, Urinary / Q000009:adverse effects; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000009:adverse effects; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D004155:Diphenhydramine / Q000009:adverse effects; D004358:Drug Therapy; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000378:metabolism; D010597:Pharmacogenetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D019338:Polypharmacy; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000892:Anti-Infective Agents, Urinary; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; D004155:Diphenhydramine; D003404:Creatinine