Gastrointestinal consequences of treatment with drugs in elderly patients.

The aging process affects many organs of the gastrointestinal tract. The most common effect is decreased motility, which may result in patient discomfort and various alterations in absorption. Concurrent pathologic conditions, common in the elderly, can lead in turn to the use of many pharmaceuticals, either alone or in combination. Untoward reactions to these drugs, when they occur, are often manifest in the gastrointestinal tract. Agents that may cause gastrointestinal bleeding include aspirin, corticosteroids, anticoagulants, antimetabolites, and agents used in cancer chemotherapy. Ethanol or aspirin or other drugs can cause erosive gastritis.