Drug metabolism, pharmacokinetic ethnic factors

Ethnic differences have been shown to influence response to psychotropic medications. Much of the focus on the explanation for such differences has been on drug-metabolizing (CYP) enzymes of the liver and their sway over pharmacokinetic factors. It is now well recognized that differences in the distribution of polymorphic variants of CYP enzymes exist between different ethnic groups. However, within ethnic groups there are considerable inter-individual variations in drug kinetics, which may not be accounted for solely by genetic variation. Responses to pharmacotherapy are multifaceted and involve the interaction of environmental and... 

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