NEW YORK — Pharmacogenetic test results might not lead patients to avoid certain helpful treatments as feared, a new clinical trial focusing on statins has found.
Pharmacogenetic testing enables patients to learn whether they harbor any genetic variants that could affect their response to particular drugs, with an eye toward selecting more effective therapies. But there are also concerns that positive test results could lead patients to avoid drugs for their possible adverse effects and shy away from treatments from which they may still benefit.