Pharmacogenetic test possibility for beta-blocker therapy:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Researchers have moved closer to developing a pharmacogenetic test to determine which patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are suitable for beta-blocker therapy, according to findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (September 28). Patients with certain gene variants who were prescribed beta-blocker drugs after acute coronary syndrome ACS had an increased risk of death over the next three years, the investigators report. DNA testing on 597 ACS patients who were discharged from hospital with beta-blocker therapy was conducted to find out if the patients carried any of four common variants of the ADRB1 and ADRB2 genes, previously reported to be linked to beta-blocker therapy. A significant association was found between the ADRB2 genotype and three-year mortality among patients prescribed beta-blocker therapy.