Potential Oral Disorders caused by Drugs in Older Adults

Abstract

Introduction: Medications can affect the mouth of older adults by generating side effects or causing adverse reactions.

Objective: To describe factors and medication use in older adults that may cause oral conditions.

Methods: The participation of older adults residing in Los Guidos, Desamparados canton of San José, Costa Rica, was obtained offered voluntarily. For the collection of data for the study (sex, chronological age in years grouped in five or ten years and drugs by generic name, pharmacological group, anatomical and therapeutic-chemical classification that according to the literature cause oral diseases), their homes were visited with the intention of learning about the people and the management of medication in the community. Data were collected in absolute frequencies.

Results: 203 older adults participated, 140 women (69 %) and 63 men (31 %), mostly between 70 and 84 years old (72 %), who among the medications they consume and can cause oral affections were found lovastatin, ibuprofen, enalapril, atenolol, amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide.

Conclusions: The older adults investigated consume medication on a regular basis for the treatment of prevalent diseases that can potentially cause oral conditions and make it a public health problem, which requires appropriate actions for their treatment as it is possible that these oral medical conditions can be prevented, treated or cured especially those of greater severity by that affect their quality of life.