title: Pharmacology of antiarrhythmic drugs in elderly patients.
abstract: Bradyarrhythmias and tachyarrhythmias are common in elderly patients as a result of aging and acquired cardiac disease. Antiarrhythmic drugs are effective in elderly patients for the management of supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias; however, dosing of drugs must be performed with care because of age-related changes in drug pharmacokinetics, the presence of concomitant disease, and frequent drug-drug interactions. Despite the large number of antiarrhythmic drugs having different electrophysiologic actions, as described in this article, only the β-blockers have been shown to be effective in reducing mortality and to lack proarrhythmic actions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, New York Medical College, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA. William_Frishman@nymc.edu
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Frishman
authors.forename: Wilbert S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Aronow
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers