Antidepressant Drugs in Elderly

Abstract

In our society, scientific advances and the improvement of the living conditions are causing a ``demographic transition'' with a significant increase in the number of elderly people. Antidepressant treatment in older depressed patients is efficacious, but differences in the effectiveness of different antidepressants have not been demonstrated. With ageing, a series of changes occur in the elderly that modify both the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antidepressants and may influence the efficacy, tolerability and safety of treatment in the elderly. Individualized therapy for each elderly patient is needed to achieve acceptable risk--benefit ratio. ratiobebenefitratio.