Pharmacologic consideration of commonly used gastrointestinal drugs in the elderly.
Gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations in older adults can be caused or alleviated by drug therapy. GI medications, such as proton pump inhibitors and histamine-2 receptor antagonists, are among the most commonly used medications in long-term care facilities in the United States. This article reviews the alterations in pharmacokinetic disposition of medications that occur with aging and highlights the pharmacology of commonly used GI drugs. Selected GI conditions that are drug induced and preventable are identified, and recommendations for GI drugs to be avoided in older adults are provided.
Zarowitz
Barbara J
BJ
Professional Services, Omnicare, Inc., 13975 Farmington Road, Livonia, MI 48150, USA. barbara.zarowitz@omnicare.com
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D006633:Histamine Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000502:physiology; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*
D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D006633:Histamine Antagonists; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors