As people
age, there is a gradual decrease in the percentage of
body water. This is a result of a gradual reduction
in muscle mass and a gradual increase in body
fat (Thibodeau and Patton 2012) . It is important
that nurses are aware of these changes because
differences in body water percentage can affect the
concentration of water soluble drugs in the body
(Thibodeau and Patton 2012).