If your child is diagnosed with asthma, you put all your trust in the medication designed to help them breathe more easily.
But your child could be one of potentially thousands who have a genetic mutation which renders one type of drug useless.
Children, whose asthma cannot be controlled by using the standard blue inhaler, may be given a green or purple inhaler instead. These contain salmeterol, which relaxes the airways by targeting the beta-2 receptors.
But one in seven asthma sufferers have a genetic mutation which makes it difficult for the drug to recognise the misshapen beta-2 receptors.
As well as salmeterol having no effect, researchers have found that taking the drug could actually make their condition worse.
During a study, researchers compared treatments given to 62 asthmatic children who had the genetic mutation. All had missed school or been treated at hospital for their asthma despite taking inhaled steroids.
Half the children were given salmeterol, while the others were prescribed Montelukast, an anti-inflammatory medicine. All were told to continue to use their usual preventer inhaler.
It was discovered that those children on montelukast experienced an improved quality of life, while those on salmeterol showed no improvements.
Within a year, those on montelukast did not need to use their reliever medication.
The study shows that without tailoring treatment to meet each patient’s needs, doctors may not be treating their conditions effectively.
A gene test can determine which children have the genetic mutation and, therefore, will not respond to the salmeterol. Their medication can then be changed to one that gives results.
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