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Genetics influence medication

A new study has shown that a persons genetic make-up can influence how they react to different blood pressure medications.

The research suggests that in the future, medications could be tailored to suit the genetic make-up of each individual to maximize its effectiveness.

Researchers conclusions

Researcher Dr Arnett told the Washington Post, "Eventually we should be able to utilize prescreening for treatment to determine which drug you may respond best to."

She also said, "This is a small but important step towards personalized medicine."

The study

The researchers studied 38,462 people with hypertension who undertook genetic testing. The researchers targeted two different NPPA genotypes to see how they responded differently to different blood pressure medications.

The blood pressure medications analyzed were;

• diuretic (chlorthalidone)
• calcium channel blocker (amlodipine)
• angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (lisinopril)
• alpha-blocker (doxazosin).

The results

Those people with the more common subtype of the NPPA gene responded better to the calcium channel blocker than the diuretic. People with the other genotype responded better on the diuretic.

The study was published in the January 2008 edition of the Journal of American Medical Association.

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