In people who are aged >65 years, pharmacokinetics are influenced more by the loss of kidney function than by the aging process of any other organ. A GFR of 30 to 60 ml/min, suggestive of stage 3 kidney disease, is observed in 15 to 30% of elderly people. Drug dosing must be adjusted to both changing pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; the pharmacodynamics might be influenced by the aging of other organs, too. Using our NEPharm database, we extracted abstracts with pharmacokinetic parameters since 1999 from a weekly PubMed search. The recorded data were analyzed and compared with published recommendations on drug dosage and use in the elderly. Purely age-related changes in pharmacokinetic parameters were recorded from publications on 127 drugs. The analysis of our NEPharm records revealed an average (mean ؎ SD) age-related prolongation of half-life of 1.39-fold (corresponding to ؉39 ؎ 61%). Contrasting to common opinion, mean changes in clearance (؊1 ؎ 54%) and volume of distribution (؉24 ؎ 56%) were even less. The modest changes in pharmacokinetics do not suggest general dosage modifications in the elderly for most drugs. Changes in pharmacodynamics justify the common medication rule in the elderly-"start low ؉ go slow"-especially for drugs that act on the central nervous system; however, in the case of anti-infective and anticancer therapy, the rule should be "hit hard ‫؍‬ start high ؉ go fast" to produce the target effect also in the elderly.

SummaryIn progressive immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) treatment has been used to delay disease progression, but the long-term efficacy is largely unknown. We report the clinical outcomes after IVIg therapy in six male patients with progressive IgAN [median glomerular filtration rate (GFR) 31 ml/min per 1·73 m 2 ] followed for a median observation period of 8 years. In this single-arm, non-randomized study, IVIg was given monthly at a dose of 2 g/kg body weight for 6 months. The course of renal function was assessed by linear regression analysis of GFR and proteinuria, and was compared to eight patients with IgAN (median GFR 29 ml/min per 1·73 m 2 ) without IVIg as a contemporaneous control group. IgAN disease progression was delayed after IVIg therapy on average for 3 years. The mean loss of renal function decreased from -1·05 ml/min per month to -0·15 ml/min per month (P = 0·024) and proteinuria decreased from 2·4 g/l to 1·0 g/l (P = 0·015). The primary end-point (GFR Ͻ 10 ml/min or relapse) occurred 5·2 years (median; range 0·4-8·8) after the first IVIg pulse, and after 1·3 years (median; range 0·8-2·4) in the control group (P = 0·043). In Kaplan-Meier analysis, the median renal survival time with IVIg was prolonged by 3·5 years (IVIg 4·7 years versus control 1·2 years; P = 0·006). IVIg pulse therapy may be considered as a treatment option to reduce the loss of renal function and improve proteinuria in patients with progressive IgAN.

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