People can develop severe sensitivities to medications that might look like drug allergies. Allergic reactions usually include symptoms such as hives, mild rashes, itching, and swelling that could lead to anaphylaxis. These reactions occur when antibodies are elevated in response to inactive ingredients in pills or sometimes...
Pharmacogenetics (PGx) assesses how each person metabolizes medications based on their DNA. For example, different people given the same dosage of an antidepressant may have quite different levels of the drug in their blood - some may not respond until the drug is given at high doses, while others experience...
Precision medicine, using pharmacogenomic testing, can streamline the process of finding the right treatment for each patient’s depression and result in better outcomes. Pharmacogenomics, also called pharmacogenetics or PGx, facilitates a personalized prescribing approach that utilizes a person’s genetic information to inform medication selection and dosing...
A randomized controlled trial showed that people suffering from depression and anxiety recovered faster when their medications were optimized using Pillcheck pharmacogenetics testing (also known as pharmacogenomics or PGx testing). The study evaluated the impact of pharmacogenomics-guided prescribing versus standard antidepressant treatment of depression and anxiety in three large community...
The concept of pharmacogenetics, that is, a link between genetic variations and drug response, is over 70 years old. The first paper on the topic was published in 1957 by Arno G Motulsky. Werner Kalow published the book “Pharmacogenetics. Heredity and the response to drugs” back in 1962....
Over 10% of people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus experience acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and require supportive treatment with oxygen and even mechanical lung ventilation. Multiple COVID-19 complications occur because SARS family coronaviruses can cause extensive heart and lung damage. SARS-CoV-2 viruses can easily penetrate deep into these organs...
What if you or one of your parents experience depression later in life, and the doctor prescribes an antidepressant? It’s important to understand the health risks and take careful steps to minimize them, especially if other medications are being taken as well. As we get older, medication management becomes trickier...
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a complex chronic disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Multiple factors are known to influence predisposition to UC, including genetics, gut microbiota composition, and diet. A recent genetic analysis of gut epithelial cells in UC patients revealed unique patterns of mutation that drive disease progression. Mutations in...
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive autoimmune disease affecting the brain and spinal cord, leading to weakness of limb muscles, tremors, poor coordination and electric shock sensation from certain movements. MS also causes chronic fatigue and can affect vision, memory and speech. The causes of MS are still unknown, and...
