Health
Benefit of genetic testing before blood-thinning therapy studied
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Feb. 2, 2009
Genetic testing to guide an initial dosing of warfarin may not be cost effective for typical patients with atrial fibrillation but may be for patients at higher risk for major bleeding, according to a study in the Jan. 20 Annals of Internal Medicine.
The Food and Drug Administration changed the label for warfarin in 2007 and suggested that clinicians consider genetic testing before initiating therapy. The Annals study found that genotype-guided dosing might be worth the cost if it is used for patients at high risk of hemorrhage, prevents more than 32% of major bleeding events, is available within 24 hours and costs less than $200.
"Personalized, predictive medicine offers great promise, but we need to carefully examine the benefits and understand the cost effectiveness of such strategies before we spend a lot of money on very expensive tests," said lead investigator Mark Eckman, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Cincinnati.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/02/02/hlbf0202.htm.
