Effect of drugs on nutritional status and drug–nutrition interactions in older patients

Abstract

Older patients are prone to multimorbidity or related polypharmacy, which may cause various adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and a high incidence of drug‐related health problems. Although not often noted, ADRs include nutrition‐related adverse reactions. Aging, multiple illnesses, mental and psychological problems, declining physical function, and environmental factors can lead to decreased food intake and increased metabolic stress in older people, resulting in energy imbalances that cause malnutrition. ADRs can lead to appetite loss, followed by decreased food intake, which in turn causes malnutrition and deficiencies of various nutrients. However, these nutrition‐related ADRs have received less attention. This review article describes drug–nutrition interactions, with a particular focus on older patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 465–477.