Finally, it is great to see a federal
agency advocating for personalized medicines. The agency is the
National Institute of Health, Senior Health. I am especially
thankful with the opening statement - Medicines: One Size Does Not
Fit All (Bold is my emphasis).
Studies have shown that even properly prescribed medicines cause
a number of hospitalizations each year.
The article explains that allergy
medicines don't work for everyone and for others, the standard dosage
of a prescription pain reliever can cause side effects that are
uncomfortable or life threatening. As the person ages, fat and
muscle content change. This then affects how the body absorbs and
processes drugs. Other factors also affect how a person responds to
medicines and some of these factors are exercise habits, diet, and
general health condition.
A key factor in how we react to
medicines is heredity. In other words the genes we inherit from our
ancestors. These genes influence the way people respond to many
types of medicines including many blood pressure and asthma
medicines. Your genes affect the shape and function of your
proteins. As the different drugs travel through your body, they
interact with dozens of proteins.
Remember, everyone’s genes are
slightly different and thus everyone’s proteins are different.
Variations in some proteins can affect the way we respond to
medicines. These proteins include those that help the body absorb,
metabolize, or eliminate drugs.
I know this personally. I have no
problems with Lisinopril, for blood pressure. However, my wife
developed one of the side effects and could not shake it until one
week after she stopped taking it with the doctor's order. She now
takes a different medication that works for her, but I had a severe
reaction to it until I was prescribed Lisinopril.
A new type of research is taking place
around the country to understand how genes affect the way people
respond to medicines. This research is called pharmacogenomics.
“As
pharmacogenomics research progresses, it will become increasingly
important to identify all the possible variations in genes that play
a role in drug response. To identify which versions of these genes a
person has, researchers examine DNA from that person. An easy,
painless, and risk-free way to obtain DNA is from mouth cells that
stick to a cotton swab rubbed on the inside of a volunteer's cheek.”
If you have watched any of the CSI TV shows, you know that this is
done. It takes longer than it does on TV, but the results
are there.
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