Pharmacogenetic analyses in people with dementia in Northeast Germany

INTRODUCTION: Pharmacogenetics-guided prescribing may reduce adverse drug reactions by 30%. European and American expert groups (Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group and Clinical Implementation Consortium) issue genotype-based dosage recommendations, but pharmacogenetic testing is still not routinely used. Here, we assess the potential of pharmacogenetic testing to optimize pharmacotherapy in people with dementia (PwD). METHODS: genes and related them to individual medication data in 115 PwD from an epidemiological cohort from Northeast Germany. RESULTS: The vast majority of PwD (93%) carried at least one actionable variant. Fourteen (12%) had at least one strongly actionable variant. Four of them (4%) took the drug affected and carried the strongly actionable genetic variant. DISCUSSION: Pharmacogenetic testing may contribute to improved pharmacotherapy in PwD. The potential improvements were mainly for medications commonly taken by elderly, but also for medications used to treat or associated with progression of dementia.