Genetics Play Role in Response to Most Common Asthma Drug

Genes affect how patients with mild asthma respond to albuterol, according to results of the first study of an asthma drug in patients selected according to their genotype. Researchers in the NHLBI Asthma Clinical Research Network found that over time, patients with the arginine genotype at the beta-2 adrenergic receptor had poorer asthma control after using albuterol regularly for several weeks. About 1 out of 6 people with asthma (more than 2 million) have the arginine genotype.