News - Health News
Genetics determines how well Plavix works
Posted: Sep 2, 2009 9:55 AM by Bea Karnes
The anti-clotting drug Plavix is prescribed to people with heart disease to prevent blood clots. But in some patients -- the drug doesn't work, leaving patients at risk for stroke and heart attack.
Researchers at the University of Maryland think they know why. They've found a genetic variant that appears to play a major role in whether or not the body will respond to Plavix. Researchers say about 30% of the population has this genetic variant.
The study led by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. Researchers conducted a genome-wide association study in two populations: Pennsylvania Amish and Baltimore residents.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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