Depression is a complicated condition, and so are the people it affects. It’s often difficult — and can take months or even years — to find the right drugs to treat the heterogeneous mood disorder.
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Since 2010, however, there has been a genetic test that can help doctors learn how a person’s genetic makeup can also affect their response to various antidepressants.
In a new study presented at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting, researchers say that people using the test, called GeneSight, are 50% more likely to achieve remission after eight weeks, and 30% more likely to the respond to the drugs the test recommended, compared to people treated without the test. (The study has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.)
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GeneSight, from Myriad Genetics, looks at 12 genes involved in how people break down 56 different antidepressant drugs…
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But the tests are not completely accurate, and some psychiatrists warn that most studies of such gene-based testing for antidepressant prescribing to date have involved only a small group of people who have been followed for a short period of time…
The test is not necessarily designed to guide doctors to the ‘right’ drugs for treating an individual person’s depression; it’s more useful in helping them navigate away from the drugs that might cause people to experience bad side effects.
Read full, original post: A Genetic Test Could Help Predict the Right Antidepressant For You
