Drug metabolism consists of the sum of the biochemical processes through which medication is transformed by enzymes into substances that can be absorbed in the body system. The passage of the drugs through the body is very important for the very effect expected from a certain treatment. The very structure of the medications is pharmaceutically designed to correspond as well as possible to certain organic transformation that occur in the digestive tract, in the bloodstream and at the cellular level. The very fact that drugs are metabolized similarly leads to the appearance of interactions or reactions when more than one medication is administered.
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The liver is the organ that answers for drug metabolism, although the ability to metabolize drugs is specific to any living biological tissue. This liver function is more intense because of the high concentration of enzymes that are secreted at this organ level. When the pharmaceutical substance enters the hepatic circuit, the drug metabolism is at its highest. Yet, there are other body parts that are also involved in drug metabolism: the kidneys, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the lungs or the skin. The only problem is that in most such drug metabolism cases, the toxicity reactions are more intense and numerous.
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Drug metabolism can vary depending on some pathological and physiological factors, and these need to be taken into consideration when a specific medication is prescribed. Thus, besides individual specificity that has an important part to play in drug metabolism, age, nutrition, sex differences and the condition of the intestinal flora also make important factors that influence the reaction to medication or the body response to a certain drug treatment.
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Among the pathological factors that could influence drug metabolism, the most common of them include heart, kidney and liver diseases. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that you inform the doctor on any health condition that you may suffer from. Moreover, before any drug administration, don’t forget to mention whether you are on any medication, because interactions with very serious consequences may appear.
Last but not least, although it may seem unimportant or irrelevant for a patient, some knowledge on drug metabolism could help you understand how medication works on the body system. Moreover, it could help one prevent or minimize some nasty side effects.