Effect of age on the absorption of anticholinergic medications
Changes experienced by the aging
body are another potential contributor to changes in drug
pharmacokinetics. Studies with a primary objective of identifying
age-related differences in drug pharmacokinetics are listed in table 3.
Gastric and colonic transit is significantly faster in postmenopausal
women in comparison to premenopausal women33 which
alters absorption. In a study of 16 healthy adults average age 81 years
and 16 healthy adults average age 24 years, advanced age did not
influence gastric emptying or small intestinal transit but that older
individuals had a slower colonic transit29.