Pharmacogenetics: Care Designed for Your DNA

Translating your genetic blueprint into safe, effective, and truly personalized healthcare

Your DNA holds the unique blueprint of your biology — a set of instructions that shapes how your body functions and responds to its environment. Pharmacogenetics is the science of translating that blueprint into safe, effective, and personalized care. By understanding how your genes influence your response to medications, supplements, and even foods, we can move from trial-and-error approaches to truly precision-based healthcare.

💡 Where science meets your DNA, healthcare becomes truly personal.

What Is Pharmacogenetics?

Pharmacogenetics examines how small genetic differences can affect the way your body absorbs, processes, and responds to medications. Closely related to pharmacogenomics, it focuses on individual gene variants that determine how substances are:

• Absorbed – how quickly and completely they enter your bloodstream
• Distributed – how they travel to your tissues and organs
• Metabolized – how enzymes activate or break them down
• Eliminated – how they are removed via the liver, kidneys, or bile

💡 Even subtle differences in these processes can mean the difference between optimal benefit, no effect, or unwanted side effects.

How Genes Influence Medication Response

One of the best-studied gene families in pharmacogenetics is the CYP450 group (including CYP2D6, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4). These enzymes metabolize a large proportion of prescribed drugs — from pain relievers and antidepressants to cardiovascular medications.

Depending on your genetic profile, you may be:
• A rapid metabolizer – breaking down a drug too quickly, reducing its effect
• A slow metabolizer – processing it too slowly, increasing the risk of side effects

Other key genes include:
• ABCB1 – codes for a transport protein that moves substances into and out of cells
• VKORC1 – influences sensitivity to blood thinners like warfarin

💡 Your genetic profile doesn’t just determine whether a medication works — it helps guide the safest and most effective dose and form.

Epigenetics & Nutrigenomics: How Lifestyle and Nutrition Influence Gene Expression

Your DNA is fixed at birth, but epigenetics determines which genes are active, and when. It’s the science of how lifestyle and environment dynamically influence the “reading” of your genetic code, constantly responding to internal processes and external factors such as diet, sleep, stress, exercise, microbiome health, and exposure to toxins.

Nutrigenomics takes this further, studying how nutrients directly influence gene activity. Vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds can switch on genes that promote repair, detoxification, and cellular protection — or switch off genes that drive inflammation and oxidative stress.

💡 Your genes are not your destiny — they respond to how you live and what you eat.

Supplements and Genetics: Beyond the Label

The same principles apply to dietary supplements. While often seen as harmless or universally beneficial, supplements are also processed according to your genetic blueprint.

Genetic variations determine not only which nutrients you need, but also in what form, at what dose, and in combination with which other compounds they will be most effective and safe.

Examples:
• MTHFR variants – affect conversion of folic acid into its active form, methylfolate
• BCMO1 variants – reduce conversion of beta-carotene to vitamin A

💡 In supplementation, as in medicine, one size does not fit all.

From Standard Protocols to Precision Care

With pharmacogenetic and nutrigenomic insight, much of the guesswork in healthcare can be replaced with targeted, effective choices:

• Select the right medication – tailored to your genetic profile for safety and effectiveness
• Determine the optimal dose – matched to your metabolic rate
• Reduce side effects – by anticipating risks before they occur
• Optimize supplementation and nutrition – guided by your genetics and biochemistry

💡 Where science meets your DNA, precision care becomes reality.

Integrating Pharmacogenetics into Functional Medicine

At DNA Care, pharmacogenetics is part of a broader Functional Medicine approach. We combine your genetic insights with blood work, hormone analysis, microbiome mapping, mitochondrial function testing, and lifestyle evaluation. This creates a cohesive, personalized plan aligned with your unique biology and goals.

💡 DNA Care is a Functional Medicine practice with specialized expertise in genetics and epigenetics.

Dual Review for Safety and Accuracy

Every personalized recommendation is double-checked through collaboration with an experienced pharmacist specializing in pharmacogenetics:

• Pharmacological perspective – the pharmacist evaluates genetic data for interactions and pharmacokinetics
• Clinical perspective – your Functional Medicine practitioner integrates this with your health history, supplement plan, lifestyle, and other findings

💡 Two sets of expert eyes — pharmacist and Functional Medicine specialist — for maximum safety and effectiveness.

Recent Scientific Insights

• Cardiovascular Care – Pharmacogenetic testing can improve the safety and effectiveness of cardiovascular drugs, including blood thinners and statins, by aligning medication type and dosage with the patient’s genetic profile.

• Psychiatry – Genetically guided antidepressant dosing improves treatment response and reduces side effects, especially for drugs metabolized via CYP2D6 and CYP2C19.

• DNA Medication Passport – In the Netherlands, the DNA medication passport is increasingly used to give pharmacists immediate access to key genetic data, enabling optimal dosing from the very first prescription.

• Pharmacogenetics – A randomized trial found that tailoring the dose of 39 common medications to patients’ DNA significantly reduced the risk of serious side effects.

Ongoing research continues to confirm the value of pharmacogenetics in enhancing treatment accuracy, safety, and efficiency.

How Testing Works

Testing is simple: a cheek swab or blood sample is all it takes. Results are translated into a personalized medication, supplement, and nutrition strategy — fully integrated into your care plan.

💡 Your DNA Passport is your personal map to safer, more effective care.

Why It Matters

Pharmacogenetics makes healthcare more personal, effective, and safe. It shortens the path to the right support, reduces side effects, and increases the likelihood of lasting results.

DNA Care partners with NIFGO to offer the DNA Passport — a clear, practical overview of your pharmacogenetic profile. Together, we turn science into a plan that works for you.

Let’s transform your DNA into your most powerful health asset — starting today.

In Brief:
• Personal DNA Profile – understand how you process medications, supplements, and nutrients
• Safe, effective care – double review by pharmacist and Functional Medicine specialist
• Evidence-based – supported by studies showing fewer side effects and better outcomes

References:
• Mega JL, et al. Pharmacogenetic-guided therapy for cardiovascular disease. npj Genomic Medicine. 2025 Jul;10(1):123.
• Smith DM, et al. Pharmacogenomics in psychiatry: improving outcomes and reducing adverse effects. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2025;16:1594032.
• Financial Times. Netherlands embraces DNA medication passport to improve drug safety. Financial Times. 2025.
• Swen JJ, et al. Impact of pharmacogenetic profiling on drug safety: a randomized trial. Leiden University Medical Center. 2023.

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