What if I told you that pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing could have potentially prevented ibuprofen from causing a spontaneous femur fracture?

Years ago a patient began taking 400mg of ibuprofen at night. Eventually the patient developed low hemoglobin due to ulcerations in the stomach. The patient was placed on omeprazole to help the ulcers heal. The patient remained on omeprazole and 8-10 years later experienced a spontaneous femur fracture.

You may be wondering how genetics plays a role in this story. The patient recently had PGx testing and was found to be a slower than normal metabolizer of ibuprofen. This means that the patient is exposed to more of the medication and at risk for more side effects, such as ulcerations and bleeds. In addition, the patient is a slower metabolizer of omeprazole, again meaning more exposure to the medication and a greater risk for side effects, such as infections and spontaneous fractures.

If PGx testing had been available years ago, the patient could have been counseled to avoid NSAIDs, or to take them at the lowest effective dose for the shortest period of time needed. This might have helped avoid the ulceration and addition of omeprazole. Due to genetics, the patient would also have been counseled to either stop omeprazole once the ulcers were healed, use rabeprazole instead, or cut the omeprazole dose in half once the ulcers were healed to help avoid additional issues, such as the decreased absorption of nutrients like calcium which may have contributed to the spontaneous fracture.

Moral of the story: PGx testing doesn’t need to be reactive. You can have testing when you are on no medications or only a few medications. This genetic knowledge can be used to inform future medication use with the intent to minimize unwanted side effects, medical bills and long-term health issues.

Curious if I can help you with your medications? Schedule a free 15 minute consultation https://calendly.com/gene…/informational-call-for-patients