Optimizing Pharmacotherapy in Older Patients : An Interdisciplinary Approach / [E-Book]

Section 1: General issues -- 1. The impact of ageing on pharmacokinetics -- 2. Polypharmacy: Definition, Epidemiology, Consequences and Solutions -- 3. Drug-Drug and Drug-Nutrients Interactions: From Theory to Clinical Relevance -- 4. Inappropriate Prescription of Medicines -- 5. Prescribing Cascades -- 6. Adverse Drug Reactions in Older People: a 21st Century View -- 7. Adherence: How to Measure and Improve It -- 8. Medication reconciliation and review: theory, practice and evidence -- 9. The role of pharmacists in optimizing drug therapy -- 10. Deprescribing: Evidence base and implementation -- Section 2: Geriatric syndromes and common chronic conditions -- 11. General principles of management of patients with multimorbidity and frailty -- 12. Frailty and Drug Therapy -- 13. Falls and Impaired mobility -- 14. Delirium -- 15. Incontinence -- 16. Constipation -- 17. Pain -- 18. Hypertension -- 19. Heart Failure -- 20. Pharmacological treatment of cognitive and behavioral disorders in dementia -- 21. Pharmacological treatment of osteoporosis in older patients -- 22. Chronic respiratory disease: COPD, IPF -- 23. Diabetes -- 24. Stroke therapeutics in the care of older persons -- 25. Optimizing pharmacotherapy in older patients with depression or anxiety -- 26. Nutritional Deficiency and Malnutrition -- 27. Pharmacotherapy of Insomnia in older adults -- 28. Chronic kidney disease -- 29. Palliation at End of Life.

This book summarizes the broad and rapidly evolving field of geriatric pharmacotherapy, which is becoming increasingly relevant for practicing physicians who care and prescribe medications for older patients. Around the globe, ageing populations are associated with an increased prevalence of chronic diseases. Older adults are often affected by multimorbidity, i.e., suffer from more than one chronic disease. The main consequence of multimorbidity is polypharmacy, which is commonly defined as the regular use of five or more medicines. Polypharmacy has now reached epidemic proportions in our societies, and is associated with an increased risk of drug-drug interactions, drug-disease interactions and adverse drug reactions. The management of polypharmacy in older patients with complex multimorbidity poses several challenges and needs to be based on specific knowledge and prescribing expertise. The aim of this book is to provide a comprehensive update on thefield, and to share the expertise needed to optimize the management of pharmacotherapy in older patients.