Genetic testing for Warfarin dozing.

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So.... people are supposed to take warfarin for 18 months for this genetic testing. How many people who don't have to take warfarin would do that and of those who have to take warfarin, what's the sense of the genetic testing for them? They have to take it despite their genetic makeup. Yes, they'd be helping science.

Other than to help science, how many who don't have to take it would do so?
 
I should have included this in the original post, but I had never heard of genetic testing (for warfarin issues) before today. Has anyone heard of this before?

Dennis, the topic has been brought up briefly in the Anticoagulation forum section; mostly to be used as a
pre-surgery tool, which would have definitely interested me a few years ago since my body system tends to
"over react" to meds.
 
The subject has been brought up, and there's research showing that Asians (if I remember correctly) are more sensitive to warfarin than caucasians. There may be a response to coumadin that is related to ethnic group or some genetic markers. I've read that it's used to predict a starting dose for anticoagulation therapy. I didn't read your link to a research project, but I suspect that the testing can 'probably' be done on those about to start taking warfarin without having a group of people who don't require ACT. (Of course, thinking back to my days in research, it may be argued that the fact that you have a heart defect, DVT or AFIB makes you DIFFERENT from those who don't and it's THE FACTOR that made you different or predisposed you to certain cardiac problems that make your response to warfarin different from the response of a person without those issues).

As far as tihis study is concerned, I didn't see tht it requires people who aren't already taking warfarin to participate. Even a simple survey of some of the thousands who take warfarin to learn their weekly dosing, activity levels, etc. and to determine the presence or absence of the genes they're searching for, should provide pretty good indication of biological response to Warfarin. This woudl a a 'retrospective' study - and may be somewhat easier to run than the 'prospective' one they appear to be proposing.

Although the study may help to get to the 'truth' about the responses of people with these genes to Warfarin - and may help with recommendations for starting doses, I'm not entirely convinced that it won't replace careful INR monitoring when warfarin is started, and regular monitoring until the INR stabilizes. Plus - there's been speculation that other drugs may replace warfarin before this decade is out. Although the new medication willl probaby cost much more than generic warfarin, it may become more of a standard (if it's safer) than warfarin, making this research interesting - but of little value.
 
I think you are right. My guess is that knowing about certain genes helps to get a correct dosage right from the start. I am in range 19 times out of 20 (I keep careful records), and am not sure what remains to be learned in my case. * *In any case, it seems interesting to participate, so I am going along with it for know.*
 
I am probably someone who would be of interest to be a part of such a study. When I was permitted to stop my short course of warfarin, post op, I was taking over 90 mg per week and never yet reached therapeutic level of 2.0.

My body seems to metabolize the drug at a high rate. My doctors agreed, I probably would have settled into something over 100 mg per week if I had to remain on coumadin long term. THANKFULLY I opted for tissue valve before I knew about my coumadin metablolization.
 
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