Should drug therapy be personalized based on race?
The A-HeFT (African American Heart Failure Trial) showed that isosorbide/hydralazine was associated with significant reductions in mortality in African Americans with heart failure compared with placebo. The results of a recently published genetic substudy identified a gene variant related to nitric oxide synthase production that attributed to the treatment response observed in patients enrolled in the A-HeFT. This finding suggests that isosorbide/hydralazine's ability to improve heart failure outcomes is tied to a genetic trait that may be more prevalent in African Americans than whites, but is not necessarily related to perceived race.
Vivian
Eva M
EM
College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766-1854, USA. evivian@westernu.edu
D001741:Black or African American; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004358:Drug Therapy; D005006:Ethnicity; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006830:Hydralazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007547:Isosorbide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008913:Minority Groups; D044469:Racial Groups; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004232:Diuretics; D006830:Hydralazine; D007547:Isosorbide