Abstract
Obese patients represent an expanding group of individuals within healthcare, yet precise data on drug dosing adjustments with regard to obesity are not available for majority of drugs. Especially patients with Class III obesity are in clinical often underrepresented in clinical trials.
Failure to account for changed body parameters when dosing drugs can lead to insufficient effect or accumulation in adipose tissue. This article presents an overview of body composition descriptors and information about expected changes in pharmacokinetic parameters that may affect the drug body transfer and thus its effect.
This overview is followed by examples of several drug groups commonly used in clinical practice.