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Anesthetic requirement is increased in redheads
Edwin B Liem1, Chun-Ming Lin, Mohammad-Irfan Suleman
1Outcomes Research Institute, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky. USA
Anesthesiology
|July 28, 2004
Summary
Natural redheads require a higher dose of the volatile anesthetic desflurane compared to dark-haired women. This difference in anesthetic requirement is linked to specific mutations in the melanocortin-1 receptor gene.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Genetics
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Inhalational anesthetic requirements vary with age and body temperature.
- No human genotype has been definitively linked to anesthetic requirements.
- Anecdotal evidence suggests redheads may need more anesthesia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that natural redheads require more desflurane than dark-haired women.
- To investigate the link between red hair, melanocortin-1 receptor mutations, and anesthetic needs.
Main Methods:
- Studied 20 healthy women (10 redheads, 10 dark-haired).
- Measured desflurane requirement (P50) using a titrated electrical stimulation method.
- Analyzed melanocortin-1 receptor alleles in both groups.
Main Results:
- Redheads required significantly more desflurane (6.2 vol%) than dark-haired women (5.2 vol%).
- Nine of 10 redheads had melanocortin-1 receptor gene mutations.
- The difference in desflurane requirement was statistically significant (P = 0.0004).
Conclusions:
- Red hair is a distinct phenotype associated with altered anesthetic requirements in humans.
- This phenotype can be traced to specific genetic variations in the melanocortin-1 receptor gene.