TalkMore News Coverage: Warfarin Gene Test
MSNBC provides compelling statistics about how genetic testing for warfarin (Coumadin) dosage can make a difference:
FDA economists estimate the genetic testing could prevent 85,000 “serious bleeding events” and 17,000 strokes a year, according to a November 2006 study posted to the Web site of the American Enterprise Institute. The savings to the health care system could be $1.1 billion a year, though some people question that. The genetic tests can cost $125 to $500. About 2 million people start taking the drug each year.
Warfarin sends more than 43,000 people to the emergency room each year, the FDA economists said. That total is more than for any other drug except insulin, which diabetics use.
The Washington Post has a suprisingly brief article, pointing out that
Studies have shown that the risk of a serious bleeding episode — into the brain or intestine, for instance — is highest soon after treatment has begun.
Technorati Tags: warfarin, coumadin, genes, genetic test, fda, label, risk, blood thinner, cost
