TABLE 2

The influence of old age in humans on the metabolism of drugs and other compounds that undergo phase I, phase II, capacity-limited and flow-limited metabolism

Hepatic Metabolism Reduced Percentage of Change Unchanged Percentage of Change
Flow-limited Indocyanine green −35*, −60*
Pethidine −44*, +12
Morphine −18*, −35*, −16
Propranolol −51, −41*, −30*, −24*
Amitriptyline −62*, −14
Verapamil −32*, −42
Imipramine −45*
Lignocaine +7, −35*, −6
Capacity-limited Theophylline −22*, −33*, −15, +33, +17, −15, nonsmoker −35*, −33*, +11, −31* Diazepam −3, male −39*, −48*, female −6, −17
Antipyrine −20*, −42*, +32, −39*, −52*, −51*, +32, −33* Digitoxin +20
Phenytoin +62*, +4
Salicylic acid −7, +4, −29
Valproic acid 0, −16, 0
Warfarin +25, −25, 0
Phase I Antipyrine −20*, −42*, +32, −39*, −52*, −51*, +32, −33* Warfarin −25, −25, 0
Chlormethiazole −84*, −30* Caffeine +13
Diltiazem −7, −39* Phenytoin +62*, +4
Propranolol −51, −41*, −30*, −24*
Theophylline −22*, −33*, −15, +33, +17, −15, nonsmoker −35*, −33*, +11, −31*
Imipramine −45*
Amitriptyline −62*, −14
Verapamil −32*, −42
Ibuprofen −16*, +12
Lignocaine +7, −35*, −6
Phase II Morphine −18*, −35*, −16 Isoniazid rapid acetylator + 13, −13 slow acetylator −1, −22
Oxazepam +20
Paracetamol −35*, −21, −25*, −34*, −23, −19*, −8
Salicylic acid −7, +4, −29
Temazepam male −1, female −12
  • * Statistically significant; −, decrease; +, increase (Le Couteur and McLean, 1998).