Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine is trending like never before, with the strides that are being made in this field. While you can go and search out the news yourself, we want to make it easy for you. You can start by following social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and our preferred partner lab, Genelex on Facebook and Twitter. We’re constantly posting relevant articles from around the web. Or you can follow our “This Month in Pharmacogenetics and HealthIT” series where we highlight some of the current trending articles. Here’s this month’s trending articles:
Consulting Your Genetic Blueprint to Find the Right Medication for You
“In fact, researchers in the growing field of pharmacogenomics, which identifies drug-gene reactions, have already discovered that an individual’s genetic characteristics can influence how well he or she will respond to antidepressants and many other medications. Investigators in the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine have been leaders in making these pharmacogenomics discoveries and developing treatment guidelines for patient care.”
Seniors Taking Multiple Meds Could Benefit from Comprehensive Pharmacogenetic Testing
“Researchers at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons have just published a study that provides a foundation for pharmacogenetic testing for gene mutations that affect drug metabolism in older adults. Many of these mutations explain higher hospitalization rates for some older adults taking multiple medications.”
Gene Mutations May Increase Risk for Elderly on Multiple Meds
“Use of multiple medications, known as polypharmacy, is on the rise among U.S. seniors. Nearly 40 percent of Americans 65 or older take at least five or more medications. Previous studies have shown that older adults with polypharmacy are more prone to adverse events and hospitalizations than those taking fewer medications. However, few studies have investigated individual, genetic risk factors for adverse drug events in this population.”
Cerner Health Conference: Sharing Health It Can Help Improve Care, Cut Costs
“As health care gradually moves toward a future where patients can access data from every hospital or doctor’s visit on their smartphones, Dr. Vindell Washington discussed the long-term possibilities with precision medicine at the annual Cerner Health Conference, a gathering of more than 14,000 health care professionals.”
