Clopidogrel is a medication commonly prescribed to help people avoid having another heart attack after they’ve had one. For the medicine to work, the body has to change it into its active form.
This process involves a specific enzyme called CYP2C19. But some people have genetic differences that make it hard for them to produce this enzyme, which means the medicine won’t work properly for them.
What’s New: High Risk Among South Asians in the UK
A new study found that a significant number of South Asians in the UK have this genetic issue. This is important because heart problems are already more common in this group.
The study looked at health data from over 44,000 people of Bangladeshi and Pakistani descent in the UK.
A whopping 57% of these people have the genetic trait that stops them from properly using clopidogrel. Even more strikingly, over two-thirds of those who have had a heart attack were prescribed this medication.
Using long-term health records, the researchers found that people who had two copies of the “faulty” gene were three times more likely to have another heart attack. This could be because the medication isn’t working as it should.
The Bigger Picture: What This Means for Health Care
Dr. Emma Magavern, who led the study at Queen Mary University of London, pointed out that previous research had mostly focused on people of European descent.
This study is the first to show that South Asians in the UK are at much higher risk of not benefiting from clopidogrel.
She emphasized that genetics should play a role in deciding who gets this medication, especially because not doing so puts certain groups at an unfair disadvantage.
The study also brings attention to how South Asians are often not included in medical research, which means their specific health risks get overlooked.
Fiona Miller Smith, Chief Executive of Barts Charity, who helped fund the study, said this research is a step toward better health care for everyone, especially those in diverse communities like East London.
In short, this research rings alarm bells for health care professionals. It tells them that a medicine commonly used to treat heart problems might not be effective for a large group of people who are already at high risk for these problems.
And it suggests that more inclusive research is needed to ensure everyone gets the treatment they need.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, and calcium supplements could harm your heart health.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about when an aspirin a day to prevent heart attacks is too risky, and results showing daytime naps could help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
The study was published in JACC: Advances.
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