Age consideration when prescribing for the elderly

Abstract

Since the year 2000, the world elderly population increased by 48%. Medical problems become more predominant with aging leading to polypharmacy. Biological changes can occur with aging resulting in increased susceptibility of older people to medications and their side effects. These changes may have greater effect in a frail person or person with number or long-term or chronic diseases and conditions. Atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, perindopril, amlodipine and paracetamol are commonly used medications among elderly. This paper has reviewed clinical trials and publications on these medications among elderly. It has been found that the safety and effectiveness of these medications among elderly had been evaluated with the main focus on the effectiveness of these medications on different medical conditions and less focus on the effects of the elderly pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic changes on these medications. Thus, more clinical trials are required to test elderly biological changes’ effects on these medications.