Summary
An age-related decrease in the hepatic clearance of many drugs has been reported. Several mechanisms have been proposed, but only some are supported by hard evidence. Liver volume declines with age, as does hepatic blood flow — changes which may largely account for the reduced clearance of capacity- and flow-limited drugs, respectively. Age-related histological changes in the liver are minor and of uncertain significance; standard liver function tests do not change significantly with aging. There is, as yet, no direct evidence of a generalised fall in hepatic drug-metabolising enzyme activities in aging humans measured in vitro, but some in vivo studies suggest that certain very specific cytochrome P450 isoenzymes may be affected by aging, especially in men. Finally, there may be an age-related decline in the response to environmental influences.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abernethy DR, Greenblatt DJ, Shader RI. Imipramine and des-ipramine disposition in the elderly. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 232: 183–188, 1985
Adelman RC. Age-dependent effects in enzyme induction: a biochemical expression of ageing. Experimental Gerontology 6: 75–87, 1971
Antal EJ, Kramer PA, Mercik SA, Chapron DJ, Lawson IR. Theophylline pharmacokinetics in advanced age. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 12: 637–645, 1981
Bach B, Hansen JM, Kampmann JP, Rasmussen SN, Skovsted L. Disposition of antipyrine and Phenytoin correlated with age and liver volume in man. Clinical Pharmacokinetics 6: 389–396, 1981
Baillie SP, Bateman DN, Coates PE, Woodhouse KW. Age and the pharmacokinetics of morphine. Age and Ageing 18: 258–262, 1989
Birnbaum LS. Altered hepatic drug metabolism in senescent mice. Experimental Gerontology 15: 259–267, 1980
Bodenham A, Shelly MP, Park GP. The altered pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs commonly used in critically ill patients. Clinical Pharmacokinetics 15: 347–373, 1988
Borghoff SJ, Birnbaum LS. Age-related changes in glucuronidation and deglucuronidation in liver, small intestine, lung and kidney of male Fischer rats. Drug Metabolism and Disposition 13: 62–67, 1985
Boyd E. Normal variability of weight of the adult human liver and spleen. Archives of Pathology 16: 350–372, 1933
Brouwer A, Moran MA, Bareids KJ, Knook DL. Cellular ageing of the reticular endothelial system. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics 5: 317–324, 1986
Calloway NO, Foley CF, Lagerbloom P. Uncertainties in geriatric data. II. Organ size. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 13: 20–28, 1965
Castleden CM, George CF. The effect of ageing on the hepatic clearance of propranolol. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 7: 49–54, 1979
Castleden CM, Pickles H. Suspected adverse drug reactions in elderly patients reported to the Committee on Safety of Medicines. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 26: 347–353, 1988
Chandler MHH, Scott SR, Blouin RA. Age-associated stereoselective alterations in hexobarbital metabolism. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 43: 436–441, 1988
Cherrick GR, Stein SW, Leevy CM, Davidson CS. Indocyanine green: observations on its physical properties, plasma decay and hepatic extraction. Journal of Clinical Investigation 39: 592–600, 1960
Cohen T, Gitman L, Lipschutz E. Liver function studies in the aged. Geriatrics 15: 824–836, 1960
Crowley JJ, Cusack BJ, Jue SG, Koup KR, Park BK, et al. Ageing and drug interactions. II. Effect of Phenytoin and smoking on the oxidation of theophylline and Cortisol in healthy men. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 245: 513–523, 1988
David H, Reinke P. Liver morphology with ageing. In Bianchi L, (Eds) Ageing in liver and gastrointestinal tract, pp. 143–159, MTP Press, Lancaster, 1988
Divoll M, Ameer B, Abernathy DR, Greenblatt DJ. Age does not alter acetaminophen absorption. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 30: 240–244, 1982a
Divoll M, Greenblatt DJ, Abernethy DR, Shader RI. Cimetidine impairs clearance of antipyrine and desmethyldiazepam in the elderly. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 30: 684–689, 1982b
Feely J, Pareira L, Guy E, Hockings N. Factors affecting the response to inhibition of drug metabolism by Cimetidine — dose response and sensitivity of elderly and induced subjects. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 17: 77–81, 1984
Forette F, McClaran J, Herry MP, Bouchacourt P, Henry JF. Nicardipine in elderly patients with hypertension: a review of experience in France. American Heart Journal 117: 256–261, 1989
Fujita S, Uesugi T, Kitagawa H, Suzuki T, Kitani K. Hepatic microsomal monooxygenase and A20 reductase activities in ageing Fischer-344 rats: importance of sex difference for ageing studies. In Kitani K (Ed.) Liver and ageing 1982: liver and drugs, pp. 55–72, Elsevier Biomedical Press, Amsterdam, 1982
Galinsky RE, Kane RE, Franklin R. Effect of ageing on drug metabolising enzymes important in acetaminophen elimination. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 237: 107–113, 1986
George G, Wynne HA, Woodhouse KW. The effect of age upon the induction of drug metabolising enzymes in human monocytes. Age and Ageing 19: 364–367, 1990
Gillette JR. Factors affecting drug metabolism. Annals of the New York Academy of Science 179: 43–66, 1971
Greenblatt DJ, Allen MD, Locniskar A, Harmatz JS, Shader RI. Lorazepam kinetics in the elderly. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 26: 103–113, 1979
Greenblatt DJ, Shader RI, Harmatz JS. Absorption rate, blood concentration, and early response to oral chlordiazepoxide. American Journal of Psychiatry 134: 559–562, 1977
Grinna LS, Barber AA. Age-related changes in lipid membrane, lipid content and enzyme activities. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 288: 347–353, 1972
Hawcroft OM, Jones TWG, Martin PA. Studies on age-related changes in cytochrome P450, cytochrome b5 and mixed function oxidase activity in mouse liver microsomes in relation to their phospholipid composition. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics 1: 55–74, 1982
Herd B, Wynne H, Wright P, James OFW, Woodhouse KW. The effect of age on glucuronidation and sulphation in human liver. British Journal of Clinical Pharmaology 32: 768–770, 1991
Horbach GJ, van Asten JG, van Bezooijen CF. The influence of age on the induction of the MRNAs of rat liver cytochromes P45011B1 and P45011B2. Biochemical Pharmacology 40: 529–533, 1990
Howden CW, Birnie GG, Brodie NJ. Drug metabolism in liver disease. Pharmacology and Therapeutics 40: 439–474, 1989
Jackson SHD, Johnston A, Woollard R, Turner P. The relationship between theophylline clearance and age in adult life. European Journal of Pharmacology 36: 29–34, 1989
James OFW. Parenchymal liver disease in the elderly. In Bianchi L (Ed.) 47th Falks Symposium: ageing in liver and gastrointestinal tract, Titisee, Germany, pp. 359–369, MTP Press, Boston, 1988
Kampmann JP, Sinding J, Moller-Jorgensen I. Effect of age on liver function. Geriatrics 30: 91–95, 1975
Kao J, Hudson P. Induction of the hepatic cytochrome P450 dependent monooxygenase system in young and geriatric rats. Biochemical Pharmacology 29: 1191–1194, 1980
Kato R, Takanaka A. Metabolism of drugs in old rats. I. Activities of NADPH-linked election transport and drug-metabolising enzyme systems in liver microsomes of old rats. Japanese Journal of Pharmacology 18: 381–388, 1968
Kato R, Vassanelli P, Frontino G, Chiesara E. Variation in the activity of liver microsomal drug-metabolising enzymes in rats in relation to old age. Biochemical Pharmacology 13: 1037–1051, 1964
Kelly JG, McGarry K, O’Malley K, O’Brien ET. Bioavailability of labetolol increases with age. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 14: 304–305, 1982
Kenny RA, Hodkinson HM, Prendiville D, Hayes M, Flynn MD. Abnormalities of liver function and the predictive value of liver function tests in infection and outcome in acutely ill elderly patients. Age and Ageing 6: 63–74, 1984
Kitahara A, Ebina T, Ishikawa T, Soma Y, Sato K, et al. Changes in activities and molecular forms of rat hepatic drug metabolising enzymes during ageing. In Kitani K (Ed.) Liver and ageing 1982: liver and drugs, pp. 135–142, Elsevier Biomedical Press, Amsterdam, 1982
Klotz U, Muller-Seydlitz P. Altered elimination of desmethyl diazepam in the elderly. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 7: 119–120, 1979
Kremers P, van Asten J, van Bezooijen CFA, Horbach GJ. Cytochrome P450 expression in rat liver during ageing. In Wood-house et al. (Eds) The liver, metabolism and ageing, EURAGE 13: 19–27, Rijswijk, 1989
Lehmann AB. Review: undernutrition in elderly people. Age and Ageing 18: 339–353, 1989
Lernens HJM, Burm AGL, Hennis PJ, Gladines MP, Bovill JG. Influence of age on the pharmacokinetics of alfentanil: gender dependence. Clinical Pharmacokinetics 19: 416–422, 1990
Maitre PO, Vozeh S, Heykants J, Thomson DA, Stanski DR. Population pharmacokinetics of alfentanil: the average dose —plasma concentration relationship and interindividual variability in patients. Anaesthesiology 66: 3–12, 1987
Maloney AG, Schmucker DL, Vessey DS, Wang RK. The effects of ageing on the hepatic microsomal mixed-function oxidase system of male and female monkeys. Hepatology 6: 282–287, 1986
Marchesini G, Bianchi GP, Fabbritt, et al. Synthesis of urea after a protein-rich meal in normal man in relation to ageing. Age and Ageing 10: 4–10, 1990
Marchesini G, Bua V, Cassaroni S, et al. Galactose elimination capacity and liver volume in ageing man. Hepatology 8: 1079–1083, 1988
McMartin DN, O’Connor JA, Fasco MJ, Kaminsky LS. Influence of ageing and induction of rat liver and kidney microsomal mixed function oxidase systems. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 54: 411–419, 1980
Mooney H, Roberts R, Cooksley W. Alterations in the liver with ageing. Clinics in Gastroenterology 14: 757–771, 1985
Munro HN, Young VR. Protein metabolism in the elderly. Postgraduate Medicine 63: 143–148, 1978
Murray TG, Chiang ST, Koepke HH, Walker BR. Renal disease, age and oxazepam kinetics. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 30: 805–809, 1981
Nation RL, Learoyd B, Barber J, Triggs EJ. The pharmacokinetics of chlormethiazole following intravenous administration in the aged. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 10: 407–415, 1976
Nation RL, Vine J, Triggs EJ, Learoyd B. Plasma levels of chlormethiazole and two metabolites after oral administration to young and aged subjects. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 12: 137–145, 1977
Neuberger J, Williams R. Halothane anaesthesia and liver damage. British Medical Journal 9: 1136–1139, 1984
Pang SK, Rowland M. Hepatic clearance of drugs. I. Theoretical considerations of a ‘well stirred’ model and a ‘parallel-tube’ model: influence of hepatic blood flow, plasma and blood cell binding, and the hepatocellular enzymatic activity on hepatic drug clearance. Journal of Pharmacokinetics and Biopharma-ceutics 5: 625–653, 1977
Pearson MW, Roberts CJC. Drug induction of hepatic enzymes in the elderly. Age and Ageing 13: 313–316, 1984
Peterson TC, Williams CN. Depression of peripheral blood monocyte aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity in patients with liver disease: possible involvement of macrophage factors. Hepatology 7: 333–337, 1987
Posner J, Danhof M, Teunissen MWE, Breimer DD, Whitieman PP. The disposition of antipyrine and its metabolites in young and elderly healthy volunteers. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 24: 51–56, 1987
Posner J, Holdich T, Crome P. Comparison of lamotrigine pharmacokinetics in young and elderly healthy volunteers. Journal of Pharmaceutical Medicine 1: 121–128, 1991
Rikans LE. Influence of ageing on the susceptibility of rats to hepatotoxic injury. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 73: 243–249, 1984
Rikans LE, Notley BA. Differential effects of ageing on hepatic microsomal monoxygenase induction by phenobarbital and β-naphthoflavone. Biochemical Pharmacology 31: 2339–2443, 1982
Robertson DRC, Waller DG, Renwick AG, George CF. Age-related changes in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of nifedipine. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 25: 297–305, 1988
Salem SAM, Rajjayabu P, Sheperd AMM, Stevenson IH. Reduced induction of drug metabolism in the elderly. Age and Ageing 7: 68–73, 1978
Schaffner F, Popper H. Non-specific reactive hepatitis in aged and infirm people. American Journal of Digestive Diseases 4: 389–399, 1959
Schmucker DL, Wang RK. Age-related changes in liver drug metabolism: structure versus function. Proceedings of the Society of Experimental and Biological Medicine 165: 178–187, 1980
Schmucker DL, Wang RK. Effects of ageing and phenobarbital on the rat liver microsomal drug-metabolising system. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 15: 189–202, 1981
Schmucker DL, Woodhouse KW, Wang RK, Wynne H, James OFW, et al. Effect of age and gender on in vitro properties of human liver microsomal monooxygenases. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 48: 365–374, 1990
Schnegg M, Lauterburg BH. Quantitative liver function in the elderly assessed by galactose elimination capacity, aminopy-rine demethylation and caffeine clearance. Journal of Hepatology 3: 164–171, 1986
Scott J, Poffenbarger PL. Pharmacogenetics of tolbutamide metabolism in humans. Journal of Diabetes 28: 41–51, 1979
Shammas FY, Dickstein K. Clinical pharmacokinetics in heart failure: an updated review. Clinical Pharmacokinetics 15: 94–113, 1988
Sherlock S. Diseases of the liver and biliary system, Blackwell Scientific Publishers, Oxford, 1981
Sonne J, Dragsted J, Loft S, Dossing M, Adreasen F. Influence of a very low calorie diet on the clearance of oxazepam and antipyrine in man. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 36: 407–409, 1989
Stohs SJ, Al-Turk WA, Hassing JM. Altered drug metabolism in hepatic and extrahepatic tissues in mice as a function of age. Age and Ageing 3: 88–92, 1980
Storstein L, Larsen A, Midtbo K, Saevaried L. Pharmacokinetics of calcium channel blockers in patients with renal insufficiency and in geriatric patients. Acta Medica Scandinavica 681(Suppl. 1): 25–30, 1984
Summerbell J, Yelland C, Woodhouse K. The kinetics of plasma aspirin esterase in relation to old age and frailty. Age and Ageing 19: 129–130, 1990
Sutter MA, Wood WG, Williamson LS, Stong R, Pickham K, Richardson A. Comparison of the hepatic mixed function oxidase system of young, adult and old non-human primates (Macaca nemestrina). Biochemistry and Pharmacology 34: 2983–2987, 1985
Sweeney DJ, Weiner M. Metabolism of acetataminophen in he-patocytes isolated from mice and rats of various ages. Drug Metabolism and Disposition 13: 377–379, 1985
Swift CG, Homeida M, Halliwell M, Roberts CJ. Antipyrine disposition and liver size in the elderly. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 14: 149–152, 1978
Taggart HMcA, Alderice JM. Fatal cholestatic jaundice in elderly persons taking benoxaprofen. British Medical Journal 284: 1372–1378, 1982
Twum-Barima Y, Finnigan T, Habash AI, Cape RD, Carruthers SG. Impaired enzyme induction by rifampicin in the elderly. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 17: 595–597, 1984
Uchida K, Marsubara T, Ishikawa Y, Itoh N. Age-related changes in cholesterol bile acid metabolism and hepatic mixed function oxidase activities in rats. In Kitani K (Ed.) Liver and ageing 1982: liver and drugs, pp. 195–210, Elsevier Biomedical Press, Amsterdam, 1982
Veering BTH, Burm AGL, Souverijn JHM, Serree JMP, Spierdijk J. The effect of age on serum concentrations of albumin α1-acid glycoprotein. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 29: 201–206, 1990
Vestal RE, Norris AH, Jordan DJ, Cohen BH, Shock NW, et al. Antipyrine metabolism in man: influence of age, alcohol, caffeine and smoking. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 18: 425–532, 1975
Vestal RE, Wood AJJ, Branch RA, Shand DG, Wilkinson GR. Effects of age and cigarette smoking on propranolol disposition. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 26: 8–15, 1979
Wallace SM, Veerbeek RK. Plasma protein binding of drugs in the elderly. Clinical Pharmacokinetics 12: 41–72, 1987
Watanabe T, Tanaka Y. Age-related alterations in the size of human hepatocytes. Virchows Archiv B — Cell Pathology 39: 9–20, 1982
Williams FM, Mutch EM, Nicholson E, Wynne H, Wright P, et al. Human liver and plasma aspirin esterase. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology 41: 401–409, 1989a
Williams FM, Wynne H, Woodhouse KW, Rawlins MD. Plasma aspirin esterase: the influence of old age and frailty. Age and Ageing 18: 39–42, 1989b
Williams RT. Comparative patterns of drug metabolism. Federal Proceedings 26: 1029–1039, 1967
Wood AJJ, Vestal RE, Wilkinson GR, Branch RA, Shand DG. Effect of ageing and cigarette smoking on antipyrine and in-docyanine green elimination. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 26: 16–20, 1979
Woodhouse KW, Mortimer O, Wiholm BE. Hepatic adverse drug reactions: the effect of age. In Kitani K (Ed.) Liver and ageing: liver and brain, pp. 75–80, Elsevier Publications, Amsterdam, 1986
Woodhouse KW, Mutch E, Williams FM, Rawlins MD, James OFW. The effect of age on pathways of drug metabolism in human liver. Age and Ageing 113: 328–334, 1984
Woodhouse KW, Wynne H, Baillie S, James OFW, Rawlins MD. Who are the frail elderly? Quarterly Journal of Medicine 68: 505–506, 1988
Wynne HA, Cope LH, Herd B, Rawlins MD, James OFW, et al. The association of age and frailty with paracetamol conjugation in man. Age and Ageing 19: 419–424, 1990
Wynne HA, Cope LH, James OFW, Rawlins MD, Woodhouse KW. The effect of age and frailty upon acetanilide clearance in man. Age and Ageing 18: 415–418, 1989a
Wynne H, Cope L, Mutch E, Rawlins MD, Woodhouse KW, et al. The effect of age upon liver size and liver blood flow in man. Hepatology 9: 297–301, 1989b
Wynne HA, Goudouvenous J, Adams P, Rawlins MD, James OFW, et al. Hepatic extraction of drugs: the effect of age using indocyanine green as a model substrate. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 30: 634–637, 1990
Wynne HA, Mutch E, James OFW, Wright P, Rawlins MD, et al. The effect of age upon the affinity of microsomal monoxy-genase enzymes for substrate in human liver. Age and Ageing 17: 401–405, 1988
Wynne HA, Mutch E, Williams FM, James OFW, Rawlins MD, et al. The relation of age to the acute effects of ethanol on acetanilide disposition. Age and Ageing 18: 123–126, 1989c
Yelland C, Nicholson E, Wynne H, Woodhouse KW. The effect of age upon aspirin esterase activity in human liver. Age and Ageing 20: 16–18, 1991
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Woodhouse, K., Wynne, H.A. Age-Related Changes in Hepatic Function. Drugs & Aging 2, 243–255 (1992). https://doi.org/10.2165/00002512-199202030-00007
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00002512-199202030-00007