Depression in the Elderly: Pharmacologic Considerations in Treatment

The pharmacologic treatment of depression in the aged is complicated by an increased frequency of concurrent medical disease and multiple drug use. In addition, age-related physiologic changes may alter the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the antidepressant medications. As a consequence, the variability of response and the incidence of adverse effects are increased in the elderly. The clinical implications of these factors and guidelines for the use of antidepressants in the elderly are discussed.