Drugs increase the risk of suicide in the elderly
The purpose of this paper is a systematic review of articles and research in the context of drugs used and suicide in elderly patients. Suicide in the elderly may be much more frequent than in the younger population. In addition to factors such as mental illness, dementia, deteriorating health, or...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Kazimierz Wielki University
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Education, Health and Sport |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://apcz.umk.pl/JEHS/article/view/40830 |
| _version_ | 1828302129553473536 |
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| author | Kornelia Kędziora-Kornatowska Karolina Winiarek Joanna Murawska Karolina Mikut Justyna Kwiecień Aleksandra Wijata Aysheh Al-Shaer |
| author_facet | Kornelia Kędziora-Kornatowska Karolina Winiarek Joanna Murawska Karolina Mikut Justyna Kwiecień Aleksandra Wijata Aysheh Al-Shaer |
| author_sort | Kornelia Kędziora-Kornatowska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
The purpose of this paper is a systematic review of articles and research in the context of drugs used and suicide in elderly patients. Suicide in the elderly may be much more frequent than in the younger population. In addition to factors such as mental illness, dementia, deteriorating health, or problems with adapting to old age, the impact of chronic and reliever medications in this age group should also be considered. The greatest challenge of pharmacotherapy in the elderly is polypharmacy, drug interactions, different metabolism, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drugs used, as well as the side effects appearing in chronic therapy. In elderly patients, strong groups of drugs such as benzodiazepines and opioids are used extensively and sometimes too often. These drugs can cause addiction and overdose. Prescribing benzodiazepines alone carries a high risk of suicide. On the other hand, opioids often lead to addiction and abuse of these drugs, which may be associated with the development of respiratory depression. According to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide accounts for approximately 7% of all opioid overdose deaths. Therapy should be carefully selected with regard to the use of other medications, drug interactions, and possible dependence and drug abuse by patients.The use of some classes of drugs in the elderly requires increased vigilance and control in the context of depression and episodes of suicide attempts. Drugs such as B blockers, digitalis glycosides, NSAIDs, opioids, ACEIs, calcium channel blockers, corticosteroids, diuretics, levodopa, and benzodiazepines can cause symptoms of depression. Older people are more susceptible to side effects of drugs, for example because of polypharmacy and the chronicity of treatment.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T13:32:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8b676d0016fe4793a274a3d70ed36afd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2391-8306 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T13:32:46Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Kazimierz Wielki University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Education, Health and Sport |
| spelling | doaj.art-8b676d0016fe4793a274a3d70ed36afd2022-12-22T02:44:53ZengKazimierz Wielki UniversityJournal of Education, Health and Sport2391-83062022-11-0113110.12775/JEHS.2023.13.01.020Drugs increase the risk of suicide in the elderlyKornelia Kędziora-Kornatowska0Karolina Winiarek1Joanna Murawska2Karolina Mikut3Justyna Kwiecień4Aleksandra Wijata5Aysheh Al-Shaer6Faculty of Health Sciences, Department and Clinic of Geriatrics, Collegium Medicum Nicolaus Copernicus University,85-067 Faculty of Health Sciences, Department and Clinic of Geriatrics, Collegium Medicum Nicolaus Copernicus University,85-067 Poland : Faculty of Health Sciences, Department and Clinic of Geriatrics, Collegium Medicum Nicolaus Copernicus University,85-067 Faculty of Health Sciences, Department and Clinic of Geriatrics, Collegium Medicum Nicolaus Copernicus University,85-067 Poland : Faculty of Health Sciences, Department and Clinic of Geriatrics, Collegium Medicum Nicolaus Copernicus University,85-067 PolandFaculty of Health Sciences, Department and Clinic of Geriatrics, Collegium Medicum Nicolaus Copernicus University,85-067 Poland Faculty of Health Sciences, Department and Clinic of Geriatrics, Collegium Medicum Nicolaus Copernicus University,85-067 Poland The purpose of this paper is a systematic review of articles and research in the context of drugs used and suicide in elderly patients. Suicide in the elderly may be much more frequent than in the younger population. In addition to factors such as mental illness, dementia, deteriorating health, or problems with adapting to old age, the impact of chronic and reliever medications in this age group should also be considered. The greatest challenge of pharmacotherapy in the elderly is polypharmacy, drug interactions, different metabolism, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drugs used, as well as the side effects appearing in chronic therapy. In elderly patients, strong groups of drugs such as benzodiazepines and opioids are used extensively and sometimes too often. These drugs can cause addiction and overdose. Prescribing benzodiazepines alone carries a high risk of suicide. On the other hand, opioids often lead to addiction and abuse of these drugs, which may be associated with the development of respiratory depression. According to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide accounts for approximately 7% of all opioid overdose deaths. Therapy should be carefully selected with regard to the use of other medications, drug interactions, and possible dependence and drug abuse by patients.The use of some classes of drugs in the elderly requires increased vigilance and control in the context of depression and episodes of suicide attempts. Drugs such as B blockers, digitalis glycosides, NSAIDs, opioids, ACEIs, calcium channel blockers, corticosteroids, diuretics, levodopa, and benzodiazepines can cause symptoms of depression. Older people are more susceptible to side effects of drugs, for example because of polypharmacy and the chronicity of treatment. https://apcz.umk.pl/JEHS/article/view/40830opioidsbetablockerlevodopabenzodiazepinesrisk of suicidethe elderly |
| spellingShingle | Kornelia Kędziora-Kornatowska Karolina Winiarek Joanna Murawska Karolina Mikut Justyna Kwiecień Aleksandra Wijata Aysheh Al-Shaer Drugs increase the risk of suicide in the elderly Journal of Education, Health and Sport opioids betablocker levodopa benzodiazepines risk of suicide the elderly |
| title | Drugs increase the risk of suicide in the elderly |
| title_full | Drugs increase the risk of suicide in the elderly |
| title_fullStr | Drugs increase the risk of suicide in the elderly |
| title_full_unstemmed | Drugs increase the risk of suicide in the elderly |
| title_short | Drugs increase the risk of suicide in the elderly |
| title_sort | drugs increase the risk of suicide in the elderly |
| topic | opioids betablocker levodopa benzodiazepines risk of suicide the elderly |
| url | https://apcz.umk.pl/JEHS/article/view/40830 |
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