Paper

The Potential of a Placebo/Nocebo Effect in Pharmacogenetics
S.B. Haga, L.R. Warner, J. O'Daniel

Duke University, Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, Durham, N.C., USA

Address of Corresponding Author

Public Health Genomics 2009;12:158-162 (DOI: 10.1159/000189628)

  Key Words

• Adverse outcome
• Nocebo effect
• Pharmacogenetic testing
• Placebo effect

  Abstract

Pharmacogenetic testing holds great promise to improve health outcomes and reduce adverse drug responses through enhanced selection of therapeutic agents. Since drug responses can be manipulated by verbal suggestions, it is of particular interest to understand the potential impact of pharmacogenetic test results on drug response. Placebo and nocebo-like effects may be possible due to the suggestive nature of pharmacogenetic information that a drug will or will not likely lead to improved health outcomes. For example, pharmacogenetic testing could provide further reassurance to patients that a given drug will be effective and/or cause minimal side effects. However, pharmacogenetic information could adversely affect drug response through negative expectations that a drug will be less than optimally effective or cause an adverse response, known as a nocebo-like effect. Therefore, a patient's perceived value of testing, their understanding of the test results, and the manner in which they are communicated may influence therapeutic outcome. As such, physicians should consider the potential effect of pharmacogenetic test results on therapeutic outcome when communicating results to patients. Studies are needed to investigate the impact of pharmacogenetic information of therapeutic outcome.

Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Susanne B. Haga
Duke University, Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy
101 Science Drive, Box 3382
Durham, NC 27708 (USA)
Tel. +1 919 684 0325, Fax +1 919 668 0795, E-Mail susanne.haga@duke.edu

  Article Information

Published online: February 10, 2009
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 1, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 59