Could Genetics Improve Warfarin Dosing?
Bethesda, Md., Wed., Feb. 18, 2009 — In a large-scale study and an upcoming clinical trial, scientists supported by the National Institutes of Health address one of the trickiest issues in prescribing medicine — how to quickly optimize each patient’s dosage of the common blood-thinning drug warfarin. One of the most widely prescribed drugs in the world, warfarin is used to prevent dangerous blood clots that can lead to heart attacks, strokes or even death. The drug is challenging for doctors to prescribe because the ideal dosage for each person varies widely and is hard to predict, yet is crucial for the patient’s safety. Every year, an estimated 2 million Americans with certain heart conditions or other risk factors start taking warfarin. Getting the wrong amount of warfarin can be dangerous — if the dose is too high, patients could bleed profusely; if it’s too low, they could develop life-threatening clots. Using information from thousands of genetically and geographically diverse pa
