Genelex is excited to announce the next chapter in the company’s ongoing mission to improve patient care and reduce adverse drug events. Genelex is unveiling five new panels and 17 new genetic testing options to augment our existing panel of six tests that form the core of the YouScript Personalized Prescribing System. In conjunction with the YouScript Personalized Prescribing software, … Read More
More older Americans have chronic conditions compared to foreign counterparts, survey finds
An international survey of more than 10,000 adults age 65 or older has found that more Americans had multiple chronic conditions and took four or more prescription drugs than their age mates in 10 other countries. The survey, the results of which were published in a paper in the December issue of the journal Health Affairs, found that 68 percent … Read More
Study: Falls more common among older adults with pain
Recurrent falls were more than twice as common in elderly people suffering from pain than those who were not, according to the results of a recent study. The article, published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found that 19.5 percent of adults 65 and older who reported bothersome pain in the last month also … Read More
The Pharmacist’s Corner: Clopidogrel dosing and genetic variations
By Rachel Sass, PharmD Should providers increase the clopidogrel dose in patients with decreased functioning CYP2C19 enzymes? Clopidogrel (Plavix) is one of the most well studied medications in pharmacogenetics. Clopidogrel is a prodrug, meaning that it needs to be converted to an active metabolite in the body to have an effect. This metabolizing process occurs in part via the polymorphic … Read More
Public-facing genetic registry launched
A genomic research project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) dedicated to finding which genetic variants are most relevant to patient care has launched a registry where people can enter de-identified information about their genetics. The Clinical Genome Resource project has launched its GenomeConnect patient portal, the PharmGKB Blog reports. The patient portal, or registry, is a repository … Read More
Raising awareness of diabetes in November
November is diabetes awareness month in the U.S., a time to learn more about a disease that affects an estimated 30 million American children and adults. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of adults with diabetes nearly tripled between 1980 and 2011, going from 5.6 million people to 20.9 million. The American … Read More
Study shows 50% drop in serious bleeding with DNA-guided warfarin treatment
A new meta-analysis of clinical trials scrutinizing warfarin dosing methods found that warfarin treatment guided by individual genotypes reduced instances of serious bleeding by more than half compared to standard dosing approaches. The work lends support to the importance of genetic testing for the genes CYP2C9 and VKORC1, variations of which can influence warfarin’s therapeutic effect. In August 2007, the U.S. … Read More
Gene Spotlight: 5HTT and antidepressant medications
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in 10 Americans aged 12 and older takes antidepressant medications. The majority of these drugs are metabolized by the body’s highly genetically variable CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 pathways. Response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a commonly prescribed type of antidepressant, may also be affected by variations in … Read More
All that wheezes is not asthma: Doctor uses YouScript to solve puzzling patient case
As cardiopulmonologist Mark Pamer, DO, goes about his day at his South Florida practice, one adage from medical school that sticks in his mind is: “All that wheezes is not asthma.” “[As doctors], we probably all heard that. Did we understand it? You know, probably not,” said Dr. Pamer. “We understood it later on in residency or fellowship or in life.” This adage proved itself during Dr. Pamer’s treatment of a puzzling … Read More
Study: Pharmacogenomic knowledge gaps persist among physicians
More work seems needed to better familiarize physicians with the concept of pharmacogenomic testing, according to the results of a recent study. The study in the August edition of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine found that just 12.6 percent of the 300 physicians surveyed strongly or somewhat agreed with the question, “How familiar are you with pharmacogenomics?” Study authors Johansen Taber and Dickinson report this study gels with past research on … Read More