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Diabetes

Sulfonylureas

Among the oldest diabetes drugs still in wide use, and a clean example of a real pharmacogenomic effect that guidelines deliberately decline to act on — which is more useful to know than one they do act on.

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The genes involved

CYP2C9

Type 2 Diabetes →

A real metabolic effect that guidelines still say not to act on. The reduced-function CYP2C9 alleles slow the clearance of gliclazide, glimepiride and other sulfonylureas, so blood levels run higher. The Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group reviewed this and recommends no dose adjustment: a meta-analysis of 2,769 patients found no significant increase in sulfonylurea-induced hypoglycaemia for CYP2C9*3, and where levels do run higher the added effectiveness offsets the risk. Worth knowing precisely because the gap between "measurable in the blood" and "change what you prescribe" is where most pharmacogenomic overclaiming happens.

Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group (DPWG) guidance on CYP2C9 and sulfonylureas; meta-analysis of CYP2C9*3 and sulfonylurea-induced hypoglycaemia, 2,769 patients

This page is educational and contains no dosing information. Where a clinical guideline covers one of these gene-drug pairs it is written for prescribers and works through validated algorithms alongside clinical monitoring. Nothing here is a reason to start, stop, or change a medication — that conversation belongs with the clinician or pharmacist managing your treatment.