Clinical Pharmacokinetics in the Elderly

  • Patricia W. Slattum
  • Jürgen Venitz
Chapter
Part of the Cancer Drug Discovery and Development book series (CDD&D)

Abstract

Clinical response to medication in an individual patient is the net result of the interaction of a number of complex processes. These processes can be categorized into two broad areas: those affecting pharmacokinetics or the relationship between the administered dose and the concentrations of the drug in the systemic circulation, and those affecting pharmacodynamics or the relationship between concentrations of the drug in the systemic circulation and the observed pharmacologic response. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of a drug determine its pharmacokinetics. Drug-receptor interactions, concentrations of the drug at the receptor, and homeostatic compensatory mechanisms determine a drug’s pharmacodynamics. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are affected by a number of patient-specific factors including age, sex, ethnicity, genetics, disease processes, and prior and present drug exposure. This chapter focuses on the effects of advanced age on pharmacokinetics.

Keywords

Hepatic Metabolism Hepatic Blood Flow Vinca Alkaloid Hepatic Drug Metabolism Hepatic Enzyme Activity 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2004

Authors and Affiliations

  • Patricia W. Slattum
  • Jürgen Venitz

There are no affiliations available

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