Drug Use in the Older Adult

This book, written by a pharmacologist and a nurse, discusses issues related to drug use in the older adult. It discusses the effects of medications as well as other drugs (OTC, recreational, anti-aging) in the aging body but also the effects of drug use in age-related diseases. The purpose is two-fold. The first is to present a comprehensive evaluation of drug use in the older adult based on principles of pharmacology and gerontology and validated by clinical observations, reviews and trials. Professional care givers for the older adult - nurses, other practitioners, and technicians will benefit by learning the many ways in which age and age-dependent diseases influence medication efficacy, adverse reactions and toxicities. Understanding these relations creates the opportunity to improve efficacy and minimize adverse and toxic reactions and provide optimal health care. The book discusses drug use in a wide variety of age-related diseases, syndromes and conditions. The second purpose is to present a readable reference for the interested older adult on all types of drug use - medications to recreational to anti-aging drugs. This book provides scientifically validated information on current drug topics that are usually covered by unsubstantiated marketing information.