Hospitalization rates for heart patients taking warfarin, the world’s most-prescribed blood thinner, dropped by approximately 30 percent when genetic information was available to doctors when prescribing the drug, researchers from the Medco Research Institute and Mayo Clinic announced today. Results of the first prospective study examining outcomes when using genetic testing for the proper dosing of warfarin as part of the usual care of patients were presented today at the American College of Cardiology’s 59th annual scientific session.
In the video below, Thomas Moyer, Ph.D., from the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, describes the study results:
Dr. Moyer also provides background on warfarin and why getting the right dosing for patients can be difficult:
For physicians desiring information on how the genotype testing would affect warfarin dose recommendations, see this video on warfarin for health professionals, and when, why and how genotype testing should be used.
