Describe how aging can affect absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion {Ans: decreased organ function, poorly tolerate drugs that require metabolism, lower rates of excretion decrease in small-bowel surface area, slowed gastric emptying, increase in gastric PH, changes in drug absorption With age, body fat generally increases and total body water decreases. Increased fat increases the volume of distribution for highly lipophilic drugs (for example, diazepam and chlordiazepoxide), which may increase their elimination half-lives. Serum albumin decreases and alpha 1 acid glycoprotein increases -- Phenytoin and warfarin are examples of medications with a higher risk of toxic effects when serum albumin increases hepatic metabolism of many drugs through cytochrome P enzyme system decreases with age; decreasing 30-40% decreased renal elimination}Be familiar with the beers criteria and how to use it {Ans: Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults to call attention to medications that are most commonly problematic and thus should be avoided in older adults}Hypertensive urgency {Ans: severely elevated blood pressure 180 over 110 or higher without progressive target organ dysfunction signs and symptoms: severe headache, shortness of breath, epistaxis, severe anxiety treatment includes Clonidine (alpha-adrenergic stimulant 0.2 mg initial dose, then 0.1 mg every hour until