TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Considering Anticoagulation in Older Adults A1 - Rajasekhar, Anita A1 - Beyth, Rebecca J. A2 - Williams, Brie A. A2 - Chang, Anna A2 - Ahalt, Cyrus A2 - Chen, Helen A2 - Conant, Rebecca A2 - Landefeld, C. Seth A2 - Ritchie, Christine A2 - Yukawa, Michi PY - 2014 T2 - Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Geriatrics, 2e AB - Persons 65 years or older comprise approximately 13% of the U.S. population, yet they are prescribed the greatest proportion of medication; 90% are prescribed at least 1 prescription drug and 65% 3 or more prescription drugs in the last month. They also represent the fastest growing segment of prescription drug users in the United States. Thus, with an increasing number of patients surviving to older age and consuming larger amounts of drugs, it is necessary for clinicians to understand the risk, benefits, and consequences of drug therapy in older patients. This is especially true for anticoagulants, a class of drugs essential for the optimal management of many thromboembolic and vascular disorders that are highly prevalent among older patients. Anticoagulants are unique compared to most pharmacologic agents because even small deviations from “therapeutic levels” place patients at risk for life-threatening complications. While older patients with multimorbidity are particularly susceptible to thrombosis, they also have higher risks of bleeding than the general population. This chapter briefly reviews current anticoagulant therapy and focuses on the newer agents and recommendations for their use in older patients. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/28 UR - accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1100069412 ER -