Why do I need to have my DNA tested for medications? (Part 1 of 2)
Updated: Apr 24
Before we talk about DNA, let's talk about enzymes.
Enzymes speed up various chemical reactions. They perform thousands of different functions inside a cell.
Enzymes can
Metabolize (break down) medications so that they can be eliminated from your body
Activate medications so that they can work and help you
How well the enzyme functions can determine if the medication you are taking will help you or not.
If you have changes in your DNA, the speed at which enzymes will work in your body can change.
After your DNA is tested with a pharmacogenomic test, you will know how various enzymes in your body work.
The test results will show if your enzymes fall into one of the five following categories:
Poor metabolizer: has little to no enzyme activity
Intermediate metabolizer: has decreased enzyme activity compared to a normal metabolizer
Normal metabolizer: has a fully functional enzyme
Rapid metabolizer: has increased enzyme activity
Ultrarapid metabolizer: has enzyme activity greater than a rapid metabolizer
Your provider can use this information to make a better decision for you. Your provider will know medications you should and should not take.
Your results may show that
an alternative medication would be better for you or
you need a different dose of the medication
DNA testing can also decrease the trial-and-error approach:
trying a medication and hoping that it works or
trying a medication and hoping that it won't cause adverse effects
There's no way to know how your enzymes function without testing your DNA.
There's no way to know if you have a change in your DNA that affects your medications without testing your DNA.
Book a call to learn more about DNA testing and how it can help you with your medications.
You can't change your DNA, but we can learn from it.
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SOURCES
https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Enzyme
https://www.cell.com/trends/pharmacological-sciences/fulltext/S0165-6147(22)00207-3