Toxicity Profiles of Commonly Used Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Geriatrics

Abstract

Anti-inflammatory drugs are among the mostly used drugs in geriatrics. Geriatrics usually encounter problems of pain and inflammation and are more vulnerable to the toxicity of drugs as compared to young patients. In this review, we aimed to find out the toxic profile of drugs and the pharmacotherapy considerations for geriatric care. The diseases geriatrics mostly suffered from are osteoarthritis (OA), ankylosing spondylitis, carcinoma, and other degenerative disorders that require anti-inflammatory medicines. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids are mostly used agents for the treatment of inflammation in geriatrics. Due to the over the counter (OTC) availability, NSAIDs are mostly used and being self-medicated as well. As the pharmacokinetics of drugs get altered due to alteration in body physiology in geriatrics, the pharmacodynamics also gets affected, and hence toxicity ensues even with normal dose. Depending upon the nature of the drugs; gastrointestinal, renal, and cardiovascular toxicities occur. Due to this reason, utmost care should be taken for pharmacotherapy practice in such population. The presence of comorbidity and poly-pharmacy will complicate drug therapy. The drugs should be used for the shortest duration possible at the lowest effective dose, and with careful surveillance to monitor toxicities. The careful evaluation of the beneficial and potential risks of the agents must be considered for pharmacotherapy practice in such populations.