Drug-related renal dysfunction in the elderly.

Abstract

Because of its high blood flow and function to excrete and metabolize xenobiotics, the kidney is especially prone to injury by drugs and chemicals. In elderly patients, renal function is also often reduced by age itself or comorbid diseases leading to a high incidence of adverse drug reactions both to the kidney itself and to other organs because of drug accumulation. This paper reviews this issue with specific emphasis on drugs that are often used in elderly subjects such as nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents, angiotension converting enzyme inhibitors, antibiotics, and immunosuppressive drugs.