Physicians and family taking care of a 6-year-old boy diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) found a common medication used to treat the condition was having the reverse effect. The boy, being treated by providers in Thailand, was described as mischievous, disorderly and restless while at school. He would ignore people around him and even created and spoke his … Read More
Research reveals significant impact of drug-gene and drug-drug-gene interactions
Why do some patients react differently to the same drug? A study using data analyzed by the YouScript Personalized Prescribing Software has quantified the role genotypes may play in causing adverse drug reactions. The research, published in the journal Pharmacogenomics, showed that a combined 33.9 percent of all potential clinically significant drug interactions were due to drug-gene and drug-drug-gene interactions. These potential … Read More
Study strengthens link between gene variants and bleeding risk in warfarin patients
New research offers more evidence for the connection between CYP2C9 and VKORC1 variants and increased bleeding risk in patients taking warfarin. A large-scale study published in the March edition of the Lancet found that atrial fibrillation patients whose CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genetic variations made them highly sensitive to warfarin were nearly three times more likely to experience bleeding than those … Read More
Case Report: Boy becomes comatose after painkiller treatment
One day after a 5½-year-old boy was released from the hospital for a routine tonsillectomy, he was comatose in the ER. The boy had undergone surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids to treat obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, a potentially serious sleep disorder that causes pauses in breathing and a blocked airway. The surgery was successful, and he was sent … Read More
Cyberattack may affect 11 million Premera insurance customers
A cyberattack may have compromised the personal information of approximately 11 million customers insured by Premera Blue Cross. On January 29, 2015, Premera discovered that attackers may have gained access to customer’s information dating as far back as 2002, including names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, addresses, bank-account information, and claim information, including clinical information, according to statement issued by … Read More
Precision Medicine: The Future is Now
By John C. Nelson, MD, MPH The Affordable Care Act provides a blueprint for health system reform in America. While increasing access to care, the quality of that care must be maintained or improved; and, costs must decrease. Innovation will be a key factor to bring about change. Personalized Medicine based on genetic information (or Precision Medicine as President Obama … Read More
March: Time to get in the know about colorectal cancer
By Karina Mazhukhina March is national colorectal cancer awareness month. This means if you or someone you love is 50 or older, now’s a perfect time to discuss screening with your physician. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the U.S., of cancers that affect both men and women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … Read More
‘Roadmap’ for nationwide health care IT interoperability released
Can nationwide interoperability across health care information technology systems be achieved by 2017? The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) hopes so, and has released a roadmap for how to get there. The ONC, the federal agency at the forefront of promoting health care IT, has published a draft of their “interoperability roadmap,” which members of … Read More
Genelex executive to speak on 2015 SXSW discussion panel
Genelex will have a face at this year’s SXSW Interactive Festival, one of the world’s most well-known global technology conferences, in Austin, Texas, on March 16. Kristine Ashcraft, Genelex’s Chief Operation Officer, will be part of a four-person panel discussion titled “Personalized Medicine: From a Vision Into a Plan”. The hour-long discussion will focus on how long it might take … Read More
Obamacare special enrollment period begins March 15
By Karina Mazhukhina To help consumers avoid tax penalties for not obtaining health insurance coverage this year, a special enrollment period will begin March 15 and end April 30. To qualify, people are expected to confirm: they had to pay a penalty in 2014; cannot claim their income tax forms were the first to inform them of their penalty; and … Read More