Why is it harder to detect drug misuse among the elderly?
Aging could possibly lead to social and physical changes that may increase vulnerability to substance misuse. Little is known about the effects of drugs and alcohol on the aging brain. However, older adults typically metabolize substances more slowly, and their brains can be more sensitive to drugs.
What populations are most at risk for substance abuse?
Men vs. women:
- In 2017, about 9.4% of men and 5.2% of women age 12 and older had a substance use disorder.
- Men may be more likely to abuse illicit drugs than women, but women may be just as prone to addiction as men when they do abuse them.
What is the prevalence of drug misuse abuse among the elderly?
Generally, individuals aged 50 to 64 years report more psychoactive drug use than older groups. For example, in 2012, 19.3% of adults aged 65 years and older reported having ever used illicit drugs in their lifetime, whereas 47.6% of adults between 60 and 64 years of age reported lifetime drug use.
What chronic disease is most common among the elderly?
Hypertension. Hypertension, a major contributor to atherosclerosis, is the most common chronic disease of older adults (23).
What are some health issues associated with medication misuse or abuse by the elderly?
One quarter of the prescription drugs sold in the United States are used by the elderly, often for problems such as chronic pain, insomnia, and anxiety. The prevalence of abuse may be as high as 11 percent with female gender, social isolation, depression, and history of substance abuse increasing risk.
Why do older people take more drugs?
Older people tend to take more drugs than younger people because they are more likely to have more than one chronic medical disorder, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or arthritis. Most drugs used by older people for chronic disorders are taken for years.
Which prescription drugs are most likely to be abused misused or elderly become dependent upon in the US?
A person can abuse any type of prescription drug. Elderly adults commonly take 2 types of medicines that have a high potential for addiction. Opioids are used to control pain. Examples include oxycodone (OxyContin), oxycodone with acetaminophen (Percocet), and hydrocodone with acetaminophen (Vicodin).
Which of the following drugs should generally be avoided in geriatric patients?
AVOID Certain Medications used for Anxiety and/or Insomnia
- Benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), or chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
- Sleeping pills such as zaleplon (Sonata), zolpidem (Ambien), and eszopiclone (Lunesta)
What is the most common inappropriately prescribed drug to the elderly?
Diphenhydramine and amitriptiline are the most common inappropriately prescribed medications with high risk adverse events while propoxyphene and doxazoxin are the most commonly prescribed medications with low risk adverse events.
What is the best antidepressant for older adults?
SSRIs considered to have the best safety profile in the elderly are citalopram, escitalopram, and sertraline. [16] These have the lowest potential for drug-drug interactions based on their cytochrome P-450 interactions.
Which antidepressants should be avoided in the elderly?
Tricyclic antidepressants, especially amitriptyline and dothiepin,16 are known to pose a high risk of death in overdosage. These drugs should therefore be avoided in older people whose medication is not supervised and who are at risk of taking an overdose.
What is the best pill for depression?
When treating depression, several drugs are available. Some of the most commonly used include: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine HRI (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft).