Medication Use in Late Life and at End of Life: A Slow Medicine Approach

Medications' risk-to-benefit ratios change as the human body ages, and the extrapolation of evidence from studies of younger subjects can mislead. As people age, the value of a medication is best determined by how one feels when taking it. Using medications appropriately during the later decades of life requires relevant information about effectiveness and honest reflection about one's own aging. The philosophy and practices of Slow Medicine can help elders frame these decisions.