Doctors may be able to choose the best drug for patients with depression by analysing the results of a blood test, UK scientists say.
The researchers from King’s College, London have developed a blood test to help doctors and say checking a patient’s blood could help identify accurate treatment.
The blood test, described in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, is the culmination of years of investigation.
As it stands doctors rely on trial and error which results in patients not always getting the right antidepressant first off.
So far the researchers have tried out their blood test on a small number of volunteers – 140 people with depression – so in order for the test to be rolled out further a far larger sample size will be needed.