Tag: Genetics

Up to 80% of a person's adult height is determined by genetics. This reality makes the promises of most height growth pills highly misleading for those hoping to gain inches after puberty.

According to research on ADHD medications, approximately 10% to 30% of adults do not respond to stimulant treatments, a statistic that leads many to ask, "Why do stimulants have no effect on me?". Understanding the complex interplay of biological and environmental factors is key to uncovering the answer.

Approximately one-third of individuals with epilepsy will develop drug-resistant epilepsy, a complex condition where seizures continue despite appropriate medication trials. Understanding **what causes drug-resistant epilepsy** is a major focus of neuroscience, with research identifying several biological and pharmacological factors at play.

Elevated lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), affects an estimated 20-30% of the population and is a significant, genetically-inherited risk factor for cardiovascular disease. While Lp(a) is notoriously resistant to lifestyle changes, many people wonder: what is the best supplement to lower lipoprotein A?

According to dermatological studies, pubic hair has a significantly shorter growth phase than scalp hair, which is the primary reason it does not grow to extreme lengths. This genetically programmed growth cycle explains why there is a max length for pubic hair, which is fundamentally different from the hair on your head.

It's estimated that more than 98% of people may have a genomic variant that could affect how they respond to commonly prescribed medications, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute. This genetic variation, among other factors, is a key reason many individuals ask, “Why am I resistant to medications?” when treatment fails to produce the expected results.

Did you know that smoking can reduce clozapine levels by up to 50%? This is just one of many potent variables affecting clozapine metabolism, a complex process influenced by a mix of genetic, environmental, and physiological factors that requires careful management to ensure patient safety and therapeutic effectiveness.

The half-life of sulfapyridine, a metabolite of the drug sulfasalazine, is highly dependent on an individual's genetic acetylator phenotype, with significant variation between fast and slow acetylators. In fast acetylators, the mean half-life is approximately 10.4 hours, while for slow acetylators, it can extend to about 14.8 hours. This genetic difference has important clinical implications for both the effectiveness of treatment and the risk of adverse effects.

The CYP2C19 enzyme metabolizes up to 15% of all known pharmaceuticals, making its regulation, particularly by what are CYP2C19 inducers, a critical factor in medication safety and efficacy. An inducer is a substance that increases the activity of this enzyme, leading to complex and potentially risky drug interactions.

Reported frequencies of idiosyncratic drug reactions can range from an upper limit of 5% to as low as 1 in 10,000 to 100,000 individuals, making them notoriously difficult to detect during drug development. This low incidence and unpredictability are key to understanding **what is the meaning of idiosyncratic reaction** in pharmacology.