FAQ's
How are genetic results applied?
In the metabolism of drugs, an individual can be classified in one of five categories (metabolism phenotype) for each gene, based on the activity of these pharmacogenomic proteins as defined by the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) approved by the FDA:
Normal (formerly extensive metabolizer) (NM/EM): Fully functional enzyme activity.Intermediate metabolizer (IM): Decreased enzyme activity (activity between normal and poor metabolizer).Poor Metabolizer (PM): Little to no enzyme activity. Rapid/Ultrarapid Metabolizer (UM): Increased enzyme activity compared to normal metabolizers.
By considering an individual’s genetics relative to drug metabolizing enzymes, targets, receptors and transporters, healthcare providers can now apply this information to prescribing for optimal drug therapy.
How does PGx improve health care?
Until recently, medications have been developed with the idea that each drug works pretty much the same in everybody. However, genomic research has changed that “one size fits all” approach and opened the door to more personalized approaches to using and developing medications.
Depending on your genetic makeup, some medications may work more or less effectively for you than they do in other people. Likewise, some medications may produce more or fewer side effects in you than in someone else. As this science continues to evolve, healthcare providers will be able to routinely use information about your genetic makeup to choose those medications and drug doses that offer the greatest chance of helping you.
PGx may also help to save you time and money. By using information about your genetic makeup, healthcare providers may be able to avoid the trial-and-error approach of giving you various medications that are not likely to work for you until they find the right one. UsingPGx, the “best-fit” drug to help you can be chosen from the beginning. (RXGenomix)
How likely is it the test will show anything?
Nearly every test returns information that could, at some point, be beneficial to you, your physician, and your pharmacist. While this does not necessarily mean a PGx test will be relevant to a medication you are currently taking, nearly everyone tested will have a variation in their genes that applies to how your body processes medications.
What conditions are treated by medications with a potential PGx implication?
Some of the more common conditions treated by these medications include, but are not limited to:
- Chronic or acute pain
- blood pressure (elevated)
- depression
- anxiety
- other mental health conditions
- diabetes
- cholesterol (elevated)
- cancer
- arthritis
- acid reflux
- peptic ulcer
- migraines
- thyroid disorders
- asthma/COPD
- heart attack
What genes are tested in the PGx testing process?
Genes tested include, but aren’t limited to, the Cytochrome P450 enzymes—CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP3A4/5, and others. Other proteins, such as VKORC1 and SLCO1B1 represent drug targets and transporters, respectively. Click here for a complete list of genes tested.
What is pharmacogenomics (PGx)?
Pharmacogenomics (PGx) uses information about a person’s genetic makeup, or genome, to choose the medications and drug doses that are likely to work best for that particular person. This new field combines the science of how medications work, called pharmacology, with the science of the human genome, called genomics.
What kind of information are you getting?
Our testing produces a report that tells us if the genes responsible for putting a medication to work in your body are functioning properly. If they’re not, a common drug that’s safe for most could be ineffective or even dangerous for you. PGx testing is really the only way to know this before you begin taking a drug.
What medications are addressed by the testing?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently has pharmacogenomic information listed in the package labeling of more than 250 medications, including many of the most prescribed, and this number continues to grow. Testing can apply to prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements, nutraceuticals and recreational medications.
Who will have access to my information?
Advance DNA Consulting, LLC. respects your privacy, and that includes your genetic information. Even though this testing will only look at a very small set of genes limited to drug metabolism, only those involved in delivering the best healthcare for you will have access to this information and it will be used solely to create a more personalized medication plan for you.
