Drug-Induced Diseases in the Elderly

Dear colleagues,

It is common knowledge that medicines may induce or worsen several diseases. In some cases, drug-induced diseases are characterized by clinical and/or laboratory distinctive findings that are different from those of the correspondent "primary" diseases. In this sense, drug-induced lupus erythematosus (DILE) is paradigmatic. The use of assessment scales for adverse drug reactions (ADRs) such as the scale proposed in 1981 by Naranjo et al. is widely recommended in the published literature to avoid a deductive methodological approach. On the other hand, tardive syndromes may represent ADRs for which the use of the Naranjo’s scale or other different assessment scales may be difficult and critical.  Finally, gender pharmacology, pharmacogenetics, and pharmacogenomics—when available—may provide essential information. In the elderly patients, polypharmacology has specific effects, often absent in other age groups, so that the role of over-the-counter products is by no means secondary. Moreover, age-related changes are possible both in pharmacodynamics and in pharmacokinetics.

The purpose of this Special Issue of Medicines is to explore all aspects of the wide world of drug-induced diseases in the elderly. We invite all colleagues to submit their research or review manuscripts on this important topic.

Dr. Alberto Castagna
Dr. Ciro Manzo
Guest Editors

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• elderly
• adverse drug reaction
• pharmacovigilance
• assessment scales
• case reports
• case series
• drug–drug interactions
• drugs and over-the-counter products interactions
• pharmacogenomics
• gender pharmacology
• pharmacogenetics