If medication is not working for you, could new testing tell you if your genes are to blame?
Up to 99 percent of us may have small variations in our genes that can also impact how we react to common medications. (ISTOCKPHOTO)
By: Mark Dunnenberger
We all know a medication that works well for one person might not work for another – or even cause some people unwanted side effects. These differences in response can be caused by factors such as age, gender or other drugs and supplements that a person might be taking.
However, up to 99 percent of us may have small variations in our genes that can also impact how we react to common medications, including pain relievers, antidepressants and blood thinners.
Now, through a new kind of genetic testing in a field known as pharmacogenomics, some doctors are able to identify a number of these variations to help predict how their patients might respond to a new medication.
These tests are very different than genome sequencing services that provide data on your ancestry, analysis of disease-related genes or information on your risk of developing certain diseases. Instead, the tests look for specific gene variants that can help physicians minimize the trial and error of prescribing certain medications and help narrow down medication choices, especially when it comes to treatments for pain and psychiatric medications.
Understanding the basics of pharmacogenomics:
1. Pharmacogenomics will not tell you why your eyes are blue or predict your risk of cancer. Unlike other genetic tests, pharmacogenomics does not measure disease risk. Instead, it helps doctors identify treatments that are most likely to work by examining how your genes affect your response to medications.
2. The tests cannot give information about how you may respond to every single medication. Currently, research only supports testing for certain drugs, most commonly those for cardiology, pain management and depression/mental illness.
3. A pharmacogenomics test has value throughout your life. By studying a set of your genes, clinical experts can analyze a broad amount of information regarding drug therapy for many conditions, including psychiatric disorders, pain management and cardiology. Because your genes don’t change over time, you only need one test to discover genetic information that could be applied to future care. At some hospital-based testing centers, results can be added to your electronic medical record for easy access and used as a reference for medication and treatment choices throughout your life.
4. Pharmacogenomics is especially helpful for non-responders – people who have tried numerous drugs to find ones that effectively treat their symptoms. For some people, the tests can help explain why they didn’t respond to medications in the past, or provide peace of mind in knowing they are not genetically predisposed to a negative outcome on a new medication.
5. Make sure that the medications covered by the genes being tested are related to your current clinical situations or medications.
6. Pharmacogenetic testing is “not a crystal ball” and will not tell you the perfect drug for your condition. It can, however, narrow down your options and help doctors prescribe the right medicine faster avoiding the “trial and error” process.
7. Is no news good news? No specific feedback from your genomics test means that your suboptimal response to a particular medication is not the result of your genetics, but could be caused by other factors such as diet or age.
Especially when it comes to pain medication and psychiatric medications, pharmacogenomics testing can minimize the trial and error of prescribing medications, plus help a physician to narrow down treatment choices.
PGx Medical specializes in education and implementation of pharmacogenetic testing in the field of aging services. If you are interested in learning more, contact PGx Medical at info@pgxmed.com or 405-509-5112.
Read entire article at: health.usnews.com