Variants of a gene called CYP2C19 affect how well a person converts clopidogrel (Plavix) to its active anti-clotting form in the body, according to Harvard Health.
About 30 percent of people poorly metabolize the anti-clotting drug, leaving them at higher risk for blood clots. People with this genetic variant could take alternative anti-clotting drugs, such as Effient or Brilinta.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.