Can genetic testing help determine the best medications for you?

The saying “if it seems too good to be true, it likely is” applies to so many things in life. As the director of the Clinical Pharmacogenomics Service at Boston Children’s Hospital, I spend a significant amount of time discussing what pharmacogenomics testing cannot tell us. I am sure you are wondering why I would take a negative approach instead of touting the miracles of pharmacogenomics testing, since after all, that is my job. Well, as with many things, it is complicated. Pharmacogenomics can potentially guide drug choices Pharmacogenomics is the study of gene expression on the ability to metabolize or break down medications. The term “gene expression” is important because we’re talking about how much your genes influence your response to a medication. Much like the director of a play or movie, your genes give instructions to other parts of your body. One of the things your genes direct is the production of enzymes required to break down (or “metabolize”) the drugs you take. These enzymes influence how effective a drug might be for you and how likely you are to experience negative side effects. Your unique combination of genes is called your genotype. Your genotype can tell us if you will make more or significantly less enzyme than other people. These enzymes help break down the medications into substances that can be more easily excreted by the body. However, in some cases these substances can be active and some are even harmful before they are excreted. ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Drugs and Supplements Genes Health Managing your health care Source Type: blogs