HomeGenetic InsightsAm I a good candidate for GeneSight® testing? Am I a good candidate for GeneSight® testing? December 5, 2017Genetic Insights Am I a Good Candidate for GeneSight Testing? The GeneSight test is a genetic test that can help inform your doctor about genes that may affect how you metabolize or respond to certain medications commonly used to treat depression, anxiety, ADHD and other mental health conditions. The test is intended to supplement other information considered by a doctor as part of a comprehensive medical evaluation. Your psychiatrist, primary care physician, or other healthcare provider can determine if you are a good candidate for this testing. Who Qualifies for GeneSight Testing? Patients who have failed one or more medications: GeneSight test results were validated among patients in clinical trials who were not responding to their medications.1–5 If you are a patient who has failed one or more medications, the GeneSight test can provide a roadmap for your healthcare provider to identify medications or medication classes to which you are most likely to respond. Elderly patients and those with liver damage: Elderly patients6 and patients with liver damage7 may have impaired production of liver enzymes, which can affect the rate a drug is metabolized and intensify the effects of genetic variations. GeneSight testing gives healthcare providers genetically informed dosing guidance that can be used in addition to their revised dosing range for these patients. The GeneSight test has also been shown to significantly reduce polypharmacy (the taking of multiple medications)5, which can be common in elderly patients. Patients who are very sensitive to medications: Side effects from medications may result from the way a drug interacts with your body, the way your body impacts a drug, or even from psychological factors8. Many healthcare providers use the GeneSight test to shed light on this process for potential solutions. When Should Caution Be Used with the GeneSight type? Patients who have failed numerous medications in multiple classes: The GeneSight test may explain why you have failed past medications and may validate your experience. If you have already tried many medications, the GeneSight test is less likely to identify a medication you have not yet tried. However, it may identify medications that a healthcare provider may re-try at an adjusted dose. Patients with a liver transplant: The GeneSight test looks at the DNA of the patient, while a transplanted liver has the DNA of the donor. The GeneSight test provides accurate information regarding how medications used to treat depression, anxiety, ADHD and other psychiatric conditions affect your body. However, your healthcare provider will not gain useful information from the part of the test that reports how your body breaks down medications. This is because it reflects how you would break down medications based on your DNA, not the donor’s DNA. Since the overall results of the GeneSight test depend on both parts of the test, the report that separates medications into the green, yellow, and red categories may not be used by your provider to guide medication decisions. Therefore, liver transplant patients should only consider the GeneSight test if their healthcare provider believes benefit can be gained from the part of the test covering how certain medications impact the patient’s body. Who is Not Appropriate for the GeneSight test? Patients who are already doing well on their current medications are not ideal candidates for the GeneSight test. The GeneSight test should be used when your healthcare provider is considering adjusting, augmenting or discontinuing your medication. Questions? For more information on how the GeneSight test can help you and your physician, visit genesight.com, email us at [email protected], or phone 855.891.9415. References Hall-Flavin, D. K. et al. Using a pharmacogenomic algorithm to guide the treatment of depression. Transl. Psychiatry 2, e172 (2012). Hall-Flavin, D. K. et al. Utility of integrated pharmacogenomic testing to support the treatment of major depressive disorder in a psychiatric outpatient setting. Pharmacogenet. Genomics 23, 535–48 (2013). Winner, J., Allen, J. D., Anthony Altar, C. & Spahic-Mihajlovic, a. Psychiatric pharmacogenomics predicts health resource utilization of outpatients with anxiety and depression. Transl. Psychiatry 3, e242 (2013). Winner, J. G., Carhart, J. M., Altar, C. A., Allen, J. D. & Dechairo, B. M. A prospective, randomized, double-blind study assessing the clinical impact of integrated pharmacogenomic testing for major depressive disorder. Discov. Med. 16, 219–27 (2013). Winner, J. G. et al. Combinatorial pharmacogenomic guidance for psychiatric medications reduces overall pharmacy costs in a one year prospective evaluation. Curr. Med. Res. Opin. 1–30 (2015). doi:10.1185/03007995.2015.1063483 Sotaniemi, E. A., Arranto, A. J., Pelkonen, O. & Pasanen, M. Age and cytochrome P450-linked drug metabolism in humans: An analysis of 226 subjects with equal histopathologic conditions. Clin. Pharmacol. Ther. 61, 331–339 (1997). Prescott, L. F., Forrest, J. a, Adjepon-Yamoah, K. K. & Finlayson, N. D. Drug metabolism in liver disease. J. Clin. Pathol. Suppl. (R. Coll. Pathol). 9, 62–65 (1975). Mitsikostas, D. D., Mantonakis, L. & Chalarakis, N. Nocebo in clinical trials for depression: A meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res. 215, 82–86 (2014). Patient BIPOC (formerly Minority) Mental Health Month: Breaking Stigma, Building Trust Despite many efforts to stem it, stigma around mental health still exists, particularly in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities. July mark... Read more Patient Long-Term Effects of Antidepressants: What Research Shows Anyone who’s ever taken antidepressants for an extended period of time has probably wondered whether they’ll experience long-term effects: After years ... Read more Patient Have a Mindful Summer: Take a Breather with These Simple Exercises Summer is a great time to kick back and relax—if you can find the time. Managing the hustle and bustle of kids off school, planning for fun summer activities an... Read more Patient Which Mental Health Provider Should I Consider? A Symptom-Based Guide The support of a good healthcare provider can make all the difference when you’re struggling with your mental health. But how do you connect to one in a sea of ... Read more Patient One explanation for why we experience Side Effects? Understanding Your Genetic Response to Antidepressants Antidepressants often play an essential role in helping patients with their mental health conditions. But as many patients can attest, it’s frustrating when... Read more Patient Barriers at Every Turn: How Systemic and Social Factors Block Men from Mental Health Care Taking the important step of seeking care for mental health isn’t always an easy decision. Uncertainty about the need for care, social stigmas associated wi... Read more Healthcare Provider Overcoming Side Effect Concerns: Leveraging Pharmacogenomic Insights to Inform Depression and Anxiety Medication Selection Whitnee Brown, a lifelong resident now practicing in Birmingham, Alabama has nearly an entire alphabet following her name, abbreviations for degrees and certifi... Read more Patient Concerns about Mental Health Medication Side Effects Remain a Barrier to Getting Help for Those Diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety Lisa Roberts has raised a family, reached an impressively high level in her career, and was an anchor for her mother and other family members. When, within ... Read more Patient Common Antidepressant Side Effects Taking an antidepressant can be an effective way to help treat a mental health condition like depression or anxiety. However, these medications can also cre... Read more Patient MTHFR Mutations: Clinical Implications and Management Strategies MTHFR mutations—changes in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene—have gained increased attention in the medical community due to their potent... Read more Learn more Learn more about GeneSight How to talk to your provider View our clinical studies
Patient BIPOC (formerly Minority) Mental Health Month: Breaking Stigma, Building Trust Despite many efforts to stem it, stigma around mental health still exists, particularly in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities. July mark... Read more
Patient Long-Term Effects of Antidepressants: What Research Shows Anyone who’s ever taken antidepressants for an extended period of time has probably wondered whether they’ll experience long-term effects: After years ... Read more
Patient Have a Mindful Summer: Take a Breather with These Simple Exercises Summer is a great time to kick back and relax—if you can find the time. Managing the hustle and bustle of kids off school, planning for fun summer activities an... Read more
Patient Which Mental Health Provider Should I Consider? A Symptom-Based Guide The support of a good healthcare provider can make all the difference when you’re struggling with your mental health. But how do you connect to one in a sea of ... Read more
Patient One explanation for why we experience Side Effects? Understanding Your Genetic Response to Antidepressants Antidepressants often play an essential role in helping patients with their mental health conditions. But as many patients can attest, it’s frustrating when... Read more
Patient Barriers at Every Turn: How Systemic and Social Factors Block Men from Mental Health Care Taking the important step of seeking care for mental health isn’t always an easy decision. Uncertainty about the need for care, social stigmas associated wi... Read more
Healthcare Provider Overcoming Side Effect Concerns: Leveraging Pharmacogenomic Insights to Inform Depression and Anxiety Medication Selection Whitnee Brown, a lifelong resident now practicing in Birmingham, Alabama has nearly an entire alphabet following her name, abbreviations for degrees and certifi... Read more
Patient Concerns about Mental Health Medication Side Effects Remain a Barrier to Getting Help for Those Diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety Lisa Roberts has raised a family, reached an impressively high level in her career, and was an anchor for her mother and other family members. When, within ... Read more
Patient Common Antidepressant Side Effects Taking an antidepressant can be an effective way to help treat a mental health condition like depression or anxiety. However, these medications can also cre... Read more
Patient MTHFR Mutations: Clinical Implications and Management Strategies MTHFR mutations—changes in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene—have gained increased attention in the medical community due to their potent... Read more