Drug Metabalism – How Drugs Are Absorbed

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 course of treatment and its efficiency very much depend on the way the system receives and tolerates the medication. Drugs nevertheless, are created in such a way so as to correspond to the organic processes specific to the body functioning for the digestive tract, the bloodstream and the tissues where the active components have to reach. The very fact that drugs are metabolized similarly leads to the appearance of interactions or reactions when several drugs are used.

Although all biological tissues have the capacity to metabolize drugs, the liver is the organ with the biggest function in drug metabolism. This liver function is more intense because of the high concentration of enzymes that are secreted at this organ level. When the medical 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.

Pathological and physiological factors influence drug metabolism, which is why the choice of medication needs to consider them carefully. 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.

Heart, liver and kidney disease represent the most troublesome pathological factors that interfere with drug metabolism. Therefore, it is of utmost 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 irrelevant or unimportant for a patient, some knowledge on drug metabolism could help you understand how medication works on the body system. Moreover, it could help one minimize or prevent some nasty adverse reactions.