Hypertension is referred to as the “silent killer” as it does not exhibit any symptoms until the situation is serious.
Hypertension is not a disease but a symptom that leads to several other diseases.
The symptoms of hypertension are as follows:
The definite or exact causes of hypertension are unknown but the risk factors or the probable causes of hypertension are as follows:
Normal measuring of the blood pressure will give you an idea of your blood pressure.
Some clinical tests used to diagnose hypertension are:
Here are a few ways to treatment options for hypertension:
Hypertension is claiming lives of millions around the world and causing difficulty in the lives of many more. Some lifestyle changes and dietary changes not only prevent but also control the disease to a greater extent.
Drug discoveries have always played a role in improving the quality of life and increasing the average lifespan of the human race.
With an increase in novel infections and chronic diseases, the need for new drugs is more crucial than ever now.
Experts believe that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be the answer to creating new drugs that revolutionize the healthcare industry.
AI can make drug discovery, testing, and repurposing easier and more precise.
Keep reading to know AI’s current status and future in drug discovery.
Genes can affect how we respond to medications, including the drug’s efficacy and the risk of side effects.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has started impacting various industries, including healthcare.
Drug discovery is an extensively time-consuming and expensive process that only very few pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies can afford to take up.
AI in drug discovery has the potential to affect the lives of millions around the world.
Experts now believe that AI can reduce the cost of drug discovery, speed up the process, and pave the way for transforming healthcare.
Drug discovery involves discovering new drugs or medications with the efforts of large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and governments.
With the results of drug discovery uncertain and the high costs involved in the process, traditional drug discovery comes with multiple challenges and bottlenecks.
Did you know the average cost of discovering a drug can be up to $2.6 billion?
From research to approvals and marketing, the average time needed to discover a drug is about 12 years.
Unfortunately, many patients don’t have this time.
A drug must go through these four stages to be released into the market.
The first stage of drug discovery is identifying a target and finding a possible lead that can affect or treat the target.
In this stage, the substances identified during the early discovery stage are tested in the lab for toxicity and efficacy. Animal testing and lab testing happen in this stage.
Four phases of clinical research happen after the preclinical trials are successful.
Phase I, II, and III are safety and efficacy tests performed on healthy human volunteers and patients.
The side effects, rate of improvement, and maximum tolerated doses are identified and recorded in these stages.
Phase IV is the post-marketing stage after approvals that monitors the side effects after the drug hits the market.
After the first three phases of clinical trials, the drug is submitted for approval.
A regulatory authority examines the results of the trials and drug-related documents and chooses to approve or reject the drug. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is one such regulatory body.
The following are some of the challenges in the traditional drug discovery process.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a term that refers to various computing technologies that can simulate human intelligence.
According to experts, AI can speed up drug discovery and help get the right drugs to needy people.
AI may also help handle the vast amount of data generated during every step of drug discovery.
Every stage of research and drug testing creates several terabytes of data.
Even though the researchers take years to analyze the data and find patterns and links, the sheer quantity of data available may lead to misses and overlooks.
Machine Learning (ML), a segment of AI, can help analyze large amounts of data precisely yet quickly and identify insights that may help better the drug.
Such insights can add value to the present and future drug discoveries.
With just one out of 5000 components reaching the approval stage, researchers spend a lot of time pursuing leads that may have severe or ineffective side effects.
AI can be trained to do a cost-benefit analysis and check historical data to predict the outcome of these leads.
This will save researchers a tremendous amount of time, resources, and effort.
Proposal submissions include extensive work, including collecting all the needed documents, putting them together, and having the correct answers to the authorities’ questions.
AI can also be used to put together a tight case using predictions and historical analysis.
For a long time now, medical professionals have considered the idea of personalized medicine and the benefits this may have on patients.
Personalized medicine is the idea of curating drugs based on the patient’s physical, mental, genetic, and environmental features.
Personalizing drugs can improve the treatment’s efficiency and reduce the risk of side effects.
Personalizing medicine for billions of people can only be possible with supportive technology like AI.
Image source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7580505/
(This image shows how different the steps of personalized medicine discovery would be compared to traditional drug discovery)
Many biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies have started experimenting with AI for drug discovery. Here are a few such success stories.
Atomwise is a pharmaceutical company based in San Francisco, California, using AI technologies to create small-molecule drugs.
The Atomnet model is a trademark drug discovery algorithm created by this brand based on deep convolutional neural networks.
This AI/ML-based algorithm does the following.
The company has used AI technology since 2013 for its drug discovery process.
BenevolentAI is an AI-based drug discovery and pharma company based in Luxembourg, Europe.
The Benevolent Platform is a trademarked AI platform of the brand that handles every step of drug discovery – from target identification to clinical development.
This AI platform has generated multiple drug possibilities, most in their lead optimization or preclinical stages.
BEN-2293, a possible drug for atopic dermatitis, has reached Phase III of clinical trials and will soon be submitted for approval.
The following are some of the features of the Benevolent Platform.
Regarding using AI for drug discovery, safety, and privacy are two factors everyone is worried about.
Significant deals and mergers have occurred between pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and tech companies in the last couple of years.
As a result, regulators worldwide are working on initiatives that would help combat some of the challenges of AI in drug discovery.
In 2022, the UK published a 10-year National AI Strategy that would regulate the use of artificial intelligence in different industries, including pharmaceuticals.
Canada proposed a national regulatory framework called the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) in 2022 to focus on trade and commerce using AI systems.
This would also encompass regulations regarding the use of AI for drug discovery.
The FDA has already issued an action plan named ‘Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Software as a Medical Device’ in 2019 to monitor the use of AI by medical device manufacturers.
The FDA is right now focusing on regulating cybersecurity in the use of AI systems.
The advancement of AI combined with a better understanding of this technology will help finetune drug discovery in the future.
AI will make discovering ground-breaking drugs easier, quicker, and more effortful.
However, this would take time.
As more pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies invest in AI technologies, they will get closer to modernizing the drug discovery process.
Although no AI-developed drugs are available, companies are getting closer to achieving this.
Varicose veins are a type of vein disorder affecting millions of people worldwide.
According to studies, about 20% of adults will develop varicose veins in their lifetimes.
Varicose veins can cause discomfort, pain and affect the quality of life.
Untreated varicose veins can lead to severe skin and tissue damage.
Various studies report that varicose veins could be hereditary.
These studies have identified multiple gene mutations that may increase the risk of developing the condition.
Many skin conditions like varicose veins have a genetic component to them. Having certain gene variations can increase your risk for these conditions. Learn more:
Varicose veins are a condition caused by weak vein valves.
The veins are vessels carrying blood from the rest of the body to the heart for recirculation.
When the vein valves weaken, they cannot carry blood to the heart.
As a result, blood gets collected in the damaged area, and the veins become swollen and twisted.
While this condition can occur anywhere in the body, it is common in the lower extremities.
Varicose veins are easily identifiable. When the veins swell up or get twisted, the skin around the area turns purple or blue.
The veins may appear twisted or bulged to touch and see.
Other signs of varicose veins include:
Veins are one-way valves that carry blood from other body parts to the heart.
The walls of these valves can get weak, stretched, and loose for different reasons.
As a result, the veins can’t push blood successfully toward the heart.
As a result, blood pools up, and the veins can enlarge.
When this happens to the veins closer to the skin’s surface (superficial veins), the signs are visible.
The most common cause of varicose veins is pregnancy.
During pregnancy, the growing uterus can pressure the blood vessels, slowing blood flow.
Pregnancy-related hormonal changes can also lead to increased blood volume flowing through the veins, leading to vein enlargement.
A 2016 meta-analysis reports that pregnant women are at 82% higher risk of developing varicose veins than non-pregnant women.
Other common causes of varicose veins are excess weight and standing for long periods.
The following are some of the risk factors for developing varicose veins.
Gender – women are at higher risk for developing varicose veins than men. Pregnancy is an added risk factor in women.
Age – as people age, the blood vessels weaken, increasing the risk of developing varicose veins.
Genetics – inherited genes are a critical risk factor for varicose veins. Studies report that between the parents, mothers have a higher chance of passing on varicose veins gene mutations to children than fathers.
Body Weight – excess body weight stresses the circulatory system, and the veins must work harder to push blood toward the heart. This can weaken the vein walls, increasing the risk of developing varicose veins.
Studies report that obesity increases the risk of developing varicose veins and the severity of the condition.
Occupation – some jobs require the person to keep standing for extended periods, which can increase the risk of developing varicose veins.
Height – a 2018 Stanford article reports that height may be a risk factor for developing varicose veins.
Apart from age and gender, genes remain a significant risk factor for developing varicose veins.
A 2019 community-based clinical study analyzed the genes responsible for causing varicose veins in about 500,000 individuals in the UK.
According to this study, about 30 independent genetic variants could cause varicose veins.
These can be inherited from either of the parents.
A 2009 study report that in the case of positive family history, men have a 30% chance, and women have a 56% chance of inheriting the condition.
Without a family history, the risk reduces to 7% in men and 22% in women.
Another older study conducted among Japanese women reports that 42% of women with varicose veins have a family history of the condition.
So, varicose veins run in families.
According to a French study, the risk may increase by up to 90% if both parents have the condition.
So, overall, there’s compelling evidence that suggests that varicose veins have a hereditary factor and that the risk can run in families.
The following are major genes associated with varicose veins in humans.
CASZ1 gene
The CASZ1 gene (castor zinc finger 1 gene) produces the CASZ1 protein.
Mutations of this gene are associated with blood pressure variations.
rs11121615 is a Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) in this gene. The T allele of this SNP increases the risk of developing varicose veins.
THBD gene
The THBD gene (thrombomodulin gene) is responsible for producing the THBD protein.
THBD gene mutations may alter vein function and increase the risk of developing varicose veins.
Other genes associated with varicose veins are PIEZO1, PPP3R1, GATA2, HFE, and EBF1.
If you have taken an ancestry genetic test (from companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA), you can upload your DNA data to receive varicose veins report.
In most cases, it is not possible to reverse the vein wall damage.
Treatment involves removing or making the affected veins dormant so the other healthier veins can carry blood in that area.
There are more than 30 genes identified that may cause varicose veins.
When either or both parents have varicose veins, the children are more likely to inherit them.
Gene mutations and other risk factors determine whether a person develops varicose veins and the intensity of the condition.
When genetic testing puts a person at a higher risk for developing varicose veins, lifestyle changes like losing weight and staying physically active may help prevent or postpone the development of the condition.
The popularity of ancestry DNA testing has skyrocketed in recent years, with millions of people curious about their genetic heritage and ancestry.
However, many wonder how far back these tests can trace their family history.
While the answer isn’t straightforward, it’s possible to gain insight into your ancestry dating back several generations using DNA testing.
This article will explore how ancestry DNA tests work, what they can and cannot tell you, and what you can expect to learn about your family history.
Did you know your genes make up only 3% of your DNA but contain a world of information about you and your relatives and ancestors?
Due to the inheritance pattern, you and your sibling may inherit different genes from your parents, giving you and them a slightly different ancestry result.
With over 26 million people adding their DNA to the four leading commercial ancestry databases, it is natural to have many questions about these tests.
Genetic ancestry tests or genetic genealogy tests are a way for people to know more about their ancestors, sometimes going beyond what relatives have told them.
Examining an individual’s DNA variations can provide clues to who their ancestors may have been.
It also helps determine relationships between families.
The genetic patterns and variations are shared between people of particular backgrounds.
The closer two individuals are related, the more genetic patterns and variations they share.
There are three main types of DNA tests:
How far back your ancestry DNA tests go depends upon the type of DNA being tested, the type of DNA test used, and the test’s sensitivity.
Most people can learn about their maternal and paternal ancestry as far back as six to ten generations.
Mitochondrial or mtDNA is a type of DNA testing that takes you back the farthest.
One of the primary reasons that mtDNA dates back further than the Y-DNA is because the former mutates (undergoes changes) slower than the latter.
Additionally, since we have mtDNA in almost all our cells, it is more reliable to study these DNA samples than ancient ones.
You may also be interested in Ancestry DNA Updates: 2023
mtDNA testing can help you learn about your maternal ancestry up to 1,00,000 years.
Certain mtDNA types can help you trace direct-line maternal ancestry as far as 52 generations or 1300 years.
Even though mtDNA testing takes us back into your family history, we can only learn about 1% of our ancestors using this method.
Companies like AncestryDNA, 23andMe, Living DNA, and Family Tree DNA offer autosomal DNA testing.
This type of DNA test provides information about a wide range of ancestors going back up to 5 to 6 generations.
Autosomal DNA tests help trace recent ancestry.
Here’s how you can get the most out of your DNA raw data in 3 simple steps:
The onset of muscle fatigue has hampered many athletes from achieving their maximum potential. The lactic acid buildup is a byproduct of anaerobic metabolism. Under normal activity levels, the body mostly relies on aerobic metabolism and hence lactate (another name for lactic acid) buildup is not a major concern.
However, with increased activity levels, specifically, when the metabolism switches from aerobic (oxidative) to anaerobic (glycolytic), as in power activities performed at high heart rates, lactate levels quickly build-up, which, if not cleared from muscles, cause fatigue and a burning sensation.
But how quickly lactic acid is cleared and how quickly a person feels this fatigue is also influenced by your genetics, especially the MCT1 gene. This article provides insights into how individual differences affect the lactic acid clearance rate and muscle fatigue.
During short-term power (anaerobic) exercise, our body uses substances such as ATP and creatine phosphate (CP) within the first 7 seconds to produce energy. This signals the body to start glycolysis, a process to utilize the glycogen (stored glucose) to produce energy. When glycogen is broken down to release energy, which allows the muscle movement to continue. During this process, a substance called lactic acid is formed. Small amounts of lactic acid operate as a temporary energy source, thus helping you avoid fatigue during a workout. However, a buildup of lactic acid during a workout can create burning sensations in the muscle & limits muscle contraction, resulting in muscle fatigue. For this reason, it may be desirable to reduce lactic acid build-up in the muscles. However, if you are a bodybuilder, the lactic acid buildup has been shown to be highly anabolic- meaning, good for muscle building. Bodybuilders routinely work out to feel the “burn” in their muscles.
Monocarboxylate transporters (MCT) regulate the transport of lactate and many other substances and remove lactic acid from the muscles. The MCT1 gene influences the amount of MCT you produce. The more you produce, the quicker the clearance rate, thus the delay in the onset of muscle fatigue. Individuals with a certain type of the MCT1 gene produce higher levels of MCT, making them more suitable for endurance-based exercises than individuals with the other types of the MCT1 gene.
| Adequate magnesium levels in your diet will help the body deliver energy to the muscles while exercising, thus limiting the buildup of lactic acid. Foods rich in magnesium include legumes like navy beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, and lima beans, seeds such as pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds, and vegetables like spinach, greens, turnips. Omega-3 fatty acids help the body to break down glucose and limit the body’s need for lactic acid. Food sources of these fatty acids include fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel, nuts and seeds like walnuts and flaxseed, and plant-based oils such olive oil, canola oil, and rice bran oil. B vitamins: help transport glucose throughout the body and help provide energy to the muscles. Food sources of B vitamins include leafy green vegetables, cereals, peas and beans, fish, beef, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. |
BOTTOM LINE: If you are an endurance runner, excess lactic acid buildup is undesirable as it leads to fatigue. If you are a bodybuilder, lactic acid, being highly anabolic, is good for muscle growth.
Discover your genes and align your training with your genetic type. Try Xcode’s fitness genetics test which can tell you whether you carry faster, slower or both versions of the MCT1 genes . Write to us at hello@xcode.life
Updated May 12, 2023
Glaucoma can be a silent cause of vision problems, affecting millions of Americans every year.
Since there are no significant early symptoms, people don’t get their eyes tested until very late.
Genetic mutations are one of the most common causes of developing glaucoma, and getting yourself genetically tested may help diagnose and treat this condition early on.
Genetic testing and regular eye testing are especially recommended for people who have first-degree relatives with glaucoma.
Read more about glaucoma, its risk factors, causes, and preventive methods here.
Changes in certain genes can increase your risk for many chronic health conditions, including glaucoma. Learn more:
Get Actionable Health Insights From Your 23andMe, AncestryDNA Raw Data!
Glaucoma affects 3 million Americans annually and is the second most common cause of blindness worldwide.
With no clear early signs, most people don’t know they have glaucoma until they start losing vision.
This condition causes damage to the optic nerves and can be inherited.
Genetic testing may help you understand if glaucoma is hereditary and know your risk for developing this condition.
Individuals with a genetic predisposition for glaucoma may need regular eye exams to monitor intraocular pressure (IOP) and optic nerve health.
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that cause damage to the optic nerves.
The optic nerves are responsible for sending visual signals from the eye to the brain and help visualize.
Glaucoma is a progressive disease, which means that the symptoms progress slowly.
There are four common types of glaucoma diagnosed.
Open-angle glaucoma (OAG) is one of the common forms of glaucoma caused by increased intraocular pressure (eye pressure).
This is also called primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).
OAG is a progressive condition, with eye pressure increasing slowly. Increased eye pressure puts pressure on the optic nerves and damages them over time.
Primary open-angle glaucoma is hereditary and can be genetically acquired.
This form of glaucoma occurs due to a sudden increase in eye pressure.
Aqueous humor is a fluid produced in the eye for lubrication.
This clear liquid maintains eye pressure.
In people with angle-closure glaucoma, the movement of the fluid is blocked; the liquid is unable to circulate inside the eye.
As a result, the eye pressure suddenly increases, causing damage to the optic nerves.
A sudden blurred vision or an inability to see should be considered a medical emergency.
In most cases, angle-closure glaucoma in one eye can also put the person at risk for glaucoma in the second eye. Getting help right away can save the other eye.
Generally, one of the common causes of glaucoma is increased intraocular pressure (IOP).
However, in the case of normal-tension glaucoma, the optic nerve gets damaged even though the IOP stays normal.
Normal-tension glaucoma could be an inherited condition or a result of low blood flow to the optic nerves.
Early-onset glaucoma is a type diagnosed before the age of 40 in adults.
This type is primarily hereditary and may occur even without related risk factors.
A majority of cases of early-onset glaucoma are of primary open-angle glaucoma type.
When open-angle glaucoma is diagnosed in early childhood or early adulthood, it is called juvenile open-angle glaucoma.
Congenital glaucoma is the development of glaucoma in children before the age of three.
This birth condition leads to optic nerve damage and vision loss in babies.
Congenital glaucoma could be hereditary or due to birth complications affecting the baby’s eye as a fetus.
Secondary glaucoma is the development of either open-angle or angle-closure glaucoma due to another condition.
Some causes that could lead to secondary glaucoma are:
One of the major causes of glaucoma is high eye pressure. The eye keeps making this clear fluid called aqueous humor used in lubricating the eyes.
The fluid flows around the eyes and gets drained out. When new liquid circulates, the same amount should be drained to stabilize the eye pressure.
The drainage happens through the drainage system.
If the drainage angle is blocked, this causes fluid build-up, leading to high eye pressure.
This increased eye pressure pressurizes the optic nerves.
Over time, the nerve fibers of the optic nerves may die, causing problems like blind spots and side vision.
The symptoms would depend on whether the person develops open-angle or angle-closure glaucomas.
The following are risk factors for glaucoma.
The risk of glaucoma increases with age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people above 40 years should get an annual eye checkup done to check for glaucoma.
According to studies, about 50% of all cases of Open-Angle Glaucoma (OAG) have a positive family history of glaucoma associated.
The risk of developing OAG increases 9-folds when first-degree relatives have the condition.
A study reports that glaucoma was diagnosed in 10.4% of siblings of glaucoma patients. Without a sibling affected, the average risk of developing glaucoma was only 0.7%.
African Americans seem to have a higher risk of developing OAG when compared to people of other races.
A 2017 study reports that the prevalence of OAG is 3.4% in African Americans, 1.7% in Caucasians, and 1.5% in Hispanics.
The same study concludes that African Americans have higher eye pressure levels, increasing their risk of blindness due to primary OAG.
Myopia (nearsightedness) is a condition affecting about 41.6% of Americans.
The risk of developing glaucoma and the intensity of progression may depend on the degree of myopia.
Hypotension (low blood pressure) and hypertension (high blood pressure) are both risk factors for developing glaucoma.
A 2014 meta-analysis reports that people with diabetes mellitus are more likely to develop Primary OAG (POAG).
Some forms of glaucoma may be hereditary and passed on through the family.
Early-onset glaucoma is hereditary and caused by certain gene variations passed on through the family.
Primary congenital glaucoma is hereditary and diagnosed before the age of three.
According to studies, variations in the CYP1B1 or LTBP2 genes may lead to the development of primary congenital glaucoma.
Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is another type that could be inherited.
A 2011 study reports that single-gene mutations cause 5% of all POAG.
A combination of multiple gene changes and environmental risk factors causes most other cases.
For instance, juvenile open-angle glaucoma, a condition that leads to glaucoma in young adults, may be caused by changes in the MYOC gene.
Glaucoma is hereditary and is inherited from both parents.
If both parents carry mutated genes and pass this on to the child, the child may receive two copies of the mutation, leading to the development of the condition.
Some variants of glaucoma may run in the family. The parents may be carriers of the mutated genes and not develop the condition themselves.
In other cases, risk factors like hypertension, hypotension, diabetes, age, or eye injury may all lead to the development of glaucoma.
A meta-analysis analyzed gender-based risk factors for developing OAG in 46 published observational studies.
According to the study, men are more likely to develop glaucoma than women.
There are several gene mutations associated with glaucoma in human beings.
The myocilin (MYOC) gene is responsible for producing the myocilin protein.
This protein is essential in maintaining intraocular pressure in the eyes.
Variations in the MYOC gene may lead to underproduction of the myocilin protein, leading to increased intraocular pressure and glaucoma.
There are more than 100 variations of the MYOC gene identified to date.
About 4% of all cases of POAG and more than 10% of all cases of JOAG are due to MYOC mutations.
The Cytochrome P450 family 1 subfamily B member 1 (CYP1B1) gene produces the CYP1B1 enzyme.
There are more than 100 variations of this gene identified.
Mutations in the CYP1B1 gene at the GLC3A locus are responsible for 50% of all cases of Primary Congenital Glaucoma (PCG).
The Latent Transforming Growth Factor Beta Binding Protein 2 (LTBP2) gene produces the LTBP2 protein.
This protein is necessary for forming the anterior chambers of the eye.
A 2009 study reports that null mutations in the LTBP2 gene may be associated with an increased risk of developing PCG.
Mutations in the following genes may also lead to glaucoma.
If you have first-degree relatives with glaucoma, it will help to get your genes tested to understand your risk.
According to the National Eye Institute, everyone with first-degree relatives with glaucoma should get a comprehensive eye exam once in two years to analyze their risk.
Genetic testing is beneficial in identifying early-onset glaucoma, a condition that causes glaucoma in young adults under 40 years of age.
If genetic testing reveals a higher risk for developing glaucoma, you may need to get regular eye exams done by an eye doctor to diagnose the condition before it worsens.
