Dermatologic therapy in geriatric patients.

Demographic changes in our society will lead to an increasing proportion of elderly people. Age-associated multimorbidity often results in polypharmacy and elevates the risk of adverse drug reactions. Decisive alterations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are detectable in old age, primarily a decrease in total body water, an altered ratio of muscle mass to fatty tissue, and decreased renal function. Changes in gastrointestinal transit, plasma protein binding, hepatic drug metabolism, and an increased susceptibility to drug-induced cognitive decompensation have also been reported. All these alterations should be considered in geriatric dermatotherapy to minimize drug-related complications caused by over- or underdosage and drug interactions.