SCIENCE IN THE NEWS DAILY
Gene Test Cuts Complications From Blood Thinner
from USA Today
ATLANTA -- Doctors who used a genetic test to personalize treatment with warfarin, the world's most widely prescribed blood thinner, cut their patients' hospitalization rates by almost a third, researchers said Tuesday.
The study marks the first nationwide attempt to incorporate genetic testing into the routine use of a drug whose effects vary so much from one person to another that it carries a "black box" warning, the government's most urgent safety alert.
Roughly one in five patients are hospitalized for bleeding within six months of starting the drug. Others develop life-threatening blood clots. Doctors must monitor their patients regularly; it may take weeks for them to settle on a safe and effective dose.
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