Doctor Bon

Medications and old age often go together. Medications can improve health and quality of life, but some of them also profoundly affect nutrient needs at all ages, including the later years. Older adults take prescription drugs; one-quarter of the elderly population regularly take multiple prescription drugs, called polypharmacy. Many drugs affect appetite or the absorption of nutrias. Often, people must take medications for long periods. They should make sure to work with their physician and pharmacist to coordinate all medications taken. Pharmacists can advise when to take drugs-with or between meals-for maximum effectiveness.

Drug-related nutritional problems include increased need for potassium when certain types of diuretics increase excretion from the body and changes in appetite caused by antidepressant agents or certain antibiotics. Blood loss from the long-term use of aspirin or aspirin-like medications depletes iron reserves and can lead to anemia.

Grapefruit juice can increase or decrease the potency of some prescription medications, such as certain blood pressure medications, tranquillizers, antihistamines, blood cholesterol-lowering medications, and other, such as a class of drugs used to treat HIV-AIDS. For this reason, a physician, registered dietitian, or pharmacist should be consulted before grapefruit juice is ingested by those on prescription medications.