You can list age-related changes in the drug behavior of older people.
People age and their bodies experience a variety of changes which can impact how drugs work in their systems. This can make it more challenging and possibly more hazardous to administer drug therapy. The following age-related changes can affect the drug therapy of older people: decreased total body water, an increase in fat-to–lean body weight ratio, decreased liver function, kidney function, and lower levels in drug-metabolizing chemicals (Kang 2017). This can alter the metabolism, absorption, and excretion, of drug substances in an older person’s body. Gurwitz (2016) explains that a drop in water intake can cause an increase in drug levels in the body. These changes can result in adverse reactions. A decrease in kidney function and liver functions may cause a decreased ability to efficiently metabolize and eliminate drugs, which can result in toxicity and a buildup in the body (Kang 2017). Age-related changes such as those described can make it more likely that an older person will experience adverse drug reactions. To reduce adverse drug reactions, older people should be closely monitored. It is important for healthcare professionals to be able to recognize the changes caused by age.