There is no escaping the fact that in today’s world, pharmaceuticals play a big role in the health of people all over the planet. Specifically, in the United States, we have a large number of adults who are benefiting from geriatric medicine practices.
One of the ways they are benefiting is by receiving medications that have been developed to help deal with a number of problems that can come from the aging process.
As we get older, our bodies become more susceptible to disease and injury and modern medicine has made great strides toward helping the elderly be more healthy and comfortable. Metabolic validation through pharmacogenetics testing has become extremely important in the field of long-term care in recent years.
The health care system in the United States gets hit with over $20 billion in costs every year due to the misuse of antibiotics. It is more important than ever that drugs are administered properly and that a one-size-fits-all approach is avoided.
When a drug has been administered to a patient, four processes happen. There is absorption, distribution throughout the system, the metabolization process, and, finally, excretion. There is a great deal that can be determined by a person’s genes regarding how they will accept or reject certain medications and how their body will function during these four processes. That is why pharmacogenetics testing is so important.
When we are born, we inherit our chromosomes. These chromosomes contain genes that we get from our biological parents. The more we know about them, the better prepared we can be to fight the diseases that attack our body and weaken our systems.
Pharmacogenetics testing is very important in the field of geriatric medicine because older patients can have a difficult time finding the right medications for their needs. Pharmacogenetics testing makes that easier to do. In a blood test lab, DNA drug sensitivity testing can determine whether a certain drug will be effective on a certain individual. The more personal the application of a drug, the better the chances that it will benefit the patient.Many test results are able to be received in 48 hours or less and help doctors select the medicines that are appropriate. The patient’s metabolic profile is at the heart of why specific medications prove more effective than others.
For some medications, what is at stake is the correct dosage. Often, lower doses of a medication can reduce the side effects without reducing the effectiveness. Pharmacogenetics testing helps doctors to determine how much of a medication to give. For adults who are aging, this kind of medication distribution practice can narrow the gap between medication given and that same medication’s effectiveness.
