Gerontokinetics: Pharmacokinetics of Drugs in the Elderly

Gerontokinetics: Pharmacokinetics of Drugs in the Elderly is concerned with the complex processes of how the body handles drugs. After dealing with changes in the anatomy and physiology of the human body with increasing age, the pharmacokinetics of drugs in the elderly is discussed. In particular, five processes are discussed: liberation, absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination. Finally, guidelines are given for the health care practitioner in evaluating pharmacokinetics in geriatric patients as well as the principles behind dosage adjustment in the aged. More than half the book is devoted to a listing of the pharmacokinetic parameters of drugs which have been studied in the elderly. This volume will be of interest to anyone involved in geriatric medicine or in clinical pharmacokinetics.