Imagine the next time you have to take pain medication following a surgery, procedure, or injury. You’re probably going to be concerned with two things: 1) that the medication will be effective and 2) that the medication also won’t cause any sort of adverse reaction or worse, result in addiction.
But what if you no longer had to wonder whether a medication was right for you and your unique body?
Everyone takes medicine in their lives at one point or another. However, not everyone reacts to the same medicines in the same way.
Each year in the United States, there are over 1 million emergency department visits due to adverse drug reactions. And while there are many causes for these reactions, many are preventable.
How?
Through advanced pharmacogenomics testing.
What is Pharmacogenomics Testing?
Most simply, pharmacogenomics involves analyzing your DNA to discover how your body responds to drugs. Depending upon your unique genetic profile, some medications may help you, some may have no effect, and some may even cause adverse reactions. Scientists have now discovered that examining variations or changes in nucleotide content makes predicting drug response possible.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “there can no longer be any doubt that drug efficacy and the occurrence of adverse drug reactions can both be influenced by genomics or that genomic information can be used to help maximize efficacy and minimize the occurrence of adverse drug reactions.”
What this means, then, is that personalized medicine has and is becoming a reality. The kinds of drugs and their doses can be targeted for specific patients like never before.
How Pharmacogenomics Testing Can Help You
Pharmacogenomics testing has changed the “one-size-fits-all” approach to drug therapy.
One of the most significant ways that pharmacogenomics can impact your health is through decreasing the likelihood of an adverse drug reaction. A study by the NCBI found that many deaths due to adverse drug reactions could have been avoided had doctors known critical information about their patients’ genetic profiles beforehand.
The same report by the NCBI also shed light on how much drug doses can vary from patient to patient: “For instance, the daily doses required to treat patients vary by 20-fold for the warfarin, by 40-fold for the antihypertensive drug propranolol and by 60-fold for L-dopa for parkinson’s disease.” Essentially, it’s often difficult to determine how much of a drug a patient should take and how effective it will actually be for them.
However, pharmacogenomics testing can provide both you and your doctor incredible insight into how your body reacts to certain medications. Instead of having to rely on things like weight and age to determine which dosage is right for you, your doctor can look to your genetic makeup instead. Not only can this keep you from wasting time on therapies that are ineffective, but it can also save you from experiencing terrible and life-changing reactions.
Your genes hold so much valuable information when it comes to what works well for your body and why. Pharmacogenomics is helping pave the way toward more personalized care tailored to your unique body and its unique needs.
Personalized Care at EDISON BIO
The future of health care is data-driven, personalized, and focused on prevention. EDISON BIO uses the most advanced medical technologies available so that Members can gain deep insight into the inner workings of their minds and bodies, helping them increase their longevity and performance.
Included in every EDISON BIO executive health exam is comprehensive pharmacogenomics testing and analysis. Members can use their pharmacogenomics results to determine with their doctors which drugs are most safe and effective for them when needed.
With the latest innovations in medical technology, you no longer have to accept universal or generic approaches to your care. Pharmacogenomics testing is just one of the ways in which EDISON BIO helps its Members invest in understanding their mental and physical health on a more personalized level.
About EDISON BIO
Most of us worry about our health. EDISON BIO advanced, comprehensive, and convenient health screening uncovers hidden disease and health challenges early. You’ll be confident about your health and primed to perform at your highest potential.