Pulmonary drug delivery to older people

Publication date: Available online 29 November 2017
Source:Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews
Author(s): Martin Wallin, Tatsuaki Tagami, Lan Chen, Mingshi Yang, Hak-Kim Chan
Pulmonary diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are common in older people. Treatment principles are well established in this group of patients; however, inadequate training and improper inhaler techniques often results in poor treatment outcomes. Healthcare professionals often do not have the required knowledge about the most common inhaler devices. Age-related conditions like cognitive ability and physical strength would also impact on the inhaler usage. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics may be affected by physiological changes, like impaired renal and hepatic functions and reduced lung functions. Adjusting and optimizing the inhaler device to the patient preferences, improvement of the drug formulation and inhalers, and using different adherence strategies might improve the treatment outcomes in elderly patients.

Graphical abstract

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