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

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

Large study links DPYD genetic variations and toxicity of cancer drug

The association between variants of the DPYD gene and serious side effects from the cancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5–FU) in colon cancer patients has been bolstered by the results of recent large-scale study. The largest study to date investigating the association between DPYD variants and 5-FU adverse drug events has found a statistically significant association between two variants that decrease DPYD … Read More

More research needed to find genetic link to depression risk

Parsing out the genetic underpinnings of depression remains a challenge for researchers, despite the rise in the number of studies focusing on the human genome, the authors of a new scientific review article report. The researchers behind the article, published in the January issue of the Harvard Review of Psychiatry, reviewed a number of studies on the genetic link to … Read More