Drugs and Aging

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XI

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2. Age-Related Changes of Transcription and RNA Processing

   • Z. A. Medvedev

   Pages 1-19

3. Aging and Drug Testing in Cultured Normal Human Cells

   • L. Hayflick

   Pages 20-34

4. Aging, Cancer, and the Life Span of Cells in Vitro

   • A. Macieira-Coelho, B. Azzarone

   Pages 35-44

5. The Effect of Age on Rat Liver Drug Metabolism

   • C. F. A. Van Bezooijen, G. J. M. J. Horbach, C. F. Hollander

   Pages 45-55

6. Effects of Hydrocortisone and Heparin on Growth and Glycosaminoglycan Synthesis of Cultured Human Fibroblasts (WI-38)

   • D. O. Schachtschabel, G. Sluke, J. Wever

   Pages 56-69

7. The Influence of Esberitox on the Phagocytic Activity of Young and Old Isolated Perfused Rat Livers

   • T. Vömel, D. Platt

   Pages 70-79

8. Age-Dependent Differences of the Therapeutic Effect on Experimental Liver Fibrosis and Cirrhosis (Morphology and Biochemistry)

   • J. Lindner, R. Eurich, K. Grasedyck, P. Schmiegelow, A. Nüssgen

   Pages 80-103

9. Developmental and Age-Dependent Changes of Proteoglycan Metabolism in Normal and Experimentally Injured Liver and the Effects of Drugs

   • A. M. Gressner

   Pages 104-113

10. Age Dependence of the Structure and Metabolism of Joint Cartilage and the Influence of Drugs

    • H. Greiling

    Pages 114-122

11. Hypoxia and Ischemia of the Aged Brain: Pharmacotherapeutic Implications

    • S. Hoyer

    Pages 123-130

12. Age-Dependent Actions of Benzodiazepines

    • U. Klotz

    Pages 131-139

13. Influence of Age and Weight on Glycoside Therapy

    • A. Ruiz-Torres, R. Velasco

    Pages 140-143

14. Pharmacokinetics of Acebutolol in the Elderly

    • W. Möhrke, E. Mutschler, W. Mühlberg, D. Platt

    Pages 144-151

15. Pharmacodynamics of Acebutolol in Geriatric Patients with Multiple Diseases

    • W. Mühlberg, D. Platt, E. Mutschler, W. Möhrke

    Pages 152-163

16. Age-Dependent Pharmacokinetics of Atenolol in Patients with Multiple Diseases

    • H. Spahn, W. Mühlberg, E. Mutschler, D. Platt

    Pages 164-170

17. Long-Term Effects of Heterologous Fetal Testis Material on the Biological Age of the Male Rat

    • G. Hofecker, M. Skalicky, H. Niedermüller, A. Kment

    Pages 171-182

18. Drug Albumin Binding Kinetics in the Aged: Conformational Changes and the Effect of Fatty Acids

    • G. Menke, P. Pfister, A. H. Staib, B. G. Woodcock, I. Rietbrock

    Pages 183-190

19. Drug Interactions in Geriatric Patients

    • M. R. P. Hall

    Pages 191-196

20. Plasma Concentration Measurement and Clinical Parameters in a Geriatric Population Treated for Cardiac Insufficiency Using the Nonrenal-Dependent Cardiac Glycoside Pentaformylgitoxin (Gitoformate)

    • B. G. Woodcock, S. Kubin, R. Schmitt-Rüth

    Pages 197-201

Experimental gerontological research is necessary to obtain optimal information and thus ensure proper drug therapy for the elderly. Most older persons acquire multiple diseases, first of all chronic diseases. They involve complex problems of a physical, social, and psychological nature. The multimorbidity of the elderly raises many questions in drug therapy. By contrast with our extensive knowledge of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in younger age groups, few facts are available in respect of the elderly. A variety of factors may influence drug therapy. Physiological and pathological age-related changes of molecules, cells, organs, and the total organism may interact to enhance or inhibit drug therapy in higher age groups. It is well known that elderly patients are overmedicated and therefore the incidence of adverse drug reactions increases with age. Elderly patients with multimorbidity often have a diminished body clearance of drugs; age-related changes of the kidney seems to be one of the most important factors in this regard. Far less important than the elimination of drugs through the kidney is their excretion in the bile. So far results have disclosed that oxidative steps in drug clearance are more likely to be disturbed than phase II reactions. Furthermore; changes in distribution volume and age-related alterations in receptor sensitivity also influence the clearance of drugs in the elderly.

• Drugs
• drug
• kidney
• kinetics
• pharmacodynamics
• pharmacokinetics
• research

• Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nürnberg, Germany

  Dieter Platt

• 2. Medizinischen Klinik Klinikum Nürnberg, Nürnberg, Germany

  Dieter Platt

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