Title:Neuropathic Pain in Aged People: An Unresolved Issue Open to Novel
Drug Approaches, Focusing on Painful Diabetic Neuropathy
Volume: 22
Issue: 1
Author(s): Nicoletta Marchesi*, Foroogh Fahmideh, Alessia Pascale, Massimo Allegri and Stefano Govoni
Affiliation:
- Department of Drug Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
Keywords:
Older patients, neuropathic pain, diabetic neuropathy, dietary supplements, targeted therapy, pain management.
Abstract: A majority of older patients suffer from neuropathic pain (NP) that significantly alters their
daily activities and imposes a significant burden on health care. Multiple comorbidities and the risk of
polypharmacy in the elderly make it challenging to determine the appropriate drug, dosage, and
maintenance of therapy. Age-dependent processes play a contributing role in neuropathy given that diabetic
neuropathy (DN) is the most common form of neuropathy. This narrative review is mainly focused
on the drug treatment approach for neuropathy-associated pain in aged people including both
drugs and dietary supplements, considering the latter as add-on mechanism-based treatments to increase
the effectiveness of usual treatments by implementing their activity or activating other analgesic
pathways. On one hand, the limited clinical studies assessing the effectiveness and the adverse effects
of existing pain management options in this age segment of the population (> 65), on the other hand,
the expanding global demographics of the elderly contribute to building up an unresolved pain management
problem that needs the attention of healthcare providers, researchers, and health authorities as
well as the expansion of the current therapeutic options.