Features of inflammatory rheumatic diseases treatment in older people

Abstract

Currently the number of older people with chronic rheumatic diseases is increasing. Distinctive features of this population are the increased risk of cardiovascular and infectious diseases, tumours, as well as iatrogenic complications, while this group of patients is rather heterogeneous. On the one hand, modern biological and targeted synthetic drugs, provide new, previously inaccessible, treatment options; on the other hand, their use is associated with risk of side effects. In this review specifics of prescribing immunosuppressive drugs in older patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis has been analyzed. An effective and safe approach to the use of these drugs in older people can be based on a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach, taking into account geriatric characteristics of the patients.