World Asthma Day Special.
Researchers have identified a number of genes associated with asthma.
In the sample report below, we’ve attempted to analyze some important genes that increase the risk of asthma.
You can identify your genetic risk of asthma by using your 23andMe DNA data and placing an order for the Gene Health Report.
Asthma is a long-term (chronic) inflammatory condition that causes the tightening of the airway muscles.
The inflammation of the airways causes them to swell up and triggers mucus production, which results in their narrowing.
As a result, the individual finds breathing difficult, makes a whistling sound when breathing out, and experiences shortness of breath.
Asthma affects adults and children and is one of the most common chronic diseases in children.
For some people, asthma is a minor issue, but for many others, it is a major problem that may impact their daily routine and quality of life.
Though asthma cannot be cured, its symptoms can be effectively managed with appropriate measures.
Image: Asthma triggers
It is still unclear why some individuals are prone to asthma while others are not.
The cause of asthma is complex and is more likely due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Researchers believe that the development of asthma may have a genetic component, as having a family member with the condition may increase the individual’s risk for it.
Allergies may play a role in the development of asthma.
People with asthma must know what triggers a flare-up or asthma attack.
A few common asthma triggers include:
Genetics is one of the strongest risk factors for developing asthma.
However, it is essential to understand that having a genetic predisposition does not necessarily mean one will develop the condition.
People with no family history may also develop asthma.
There is plenty of research underway to determine the complex interplay between genetics and environmental factors that result in asthma development.
No single causative gene has been identified for asthma.
So far, research has identified various gene complexes that may play a significant role in the development of asthma. These include DPP1, GRPA, and SPINK5 genes.
If only one parent has asthma, there is a 25% chance that the child will develop the condition.
If both parents have asthma, the risk of developing the condition increases to 50%.
It has been estimated that children are three times more likely to develop asthma if their mothers have it and 2.5 times more likely if their fathers have it.
The likelihood of identical twins developing asthma is higher than non-identical twins.
Other than genetics, environmental factors play a role in asthma as well.
Image: Impact of asthma on breathing
Risk factors increase an individual’s chances of developing a condition.
A few factors that may increase your risk of developing asthma are:
While there’s no way to prevent asthma, there are some steps you can take to manage and prevent asthma attacks
People with the condition must avoid trigger factors to prevent an asthma attack.
It is very important to always keep your inhaler with you to manage symptoms in case of a flare-up.
Is gout preventing you from living your life?
Are the pain and discomfort stopping you from doing a daily chore?
Are you looking for ways to alleviate the pain?
Then we have good news for you.
A recent study shows promising results in minimizing gout flare-ups with probiotics.
Read on to find out all about this.
Changes in certain genes can increase your risk for many chronic health conditions, including gout. Learn more:
Gout is a painful type of inflammatory arthritis.
It usually affects one joint at a time.
The big toe joint is mainly affected.
Gout can go through periods of increased severity, called flares, and then get better temporarily, called remission.
Repeated flares can cause gouty arthritis, a worsening form of arthritis.
Currently, there is no cure for gout.
However, the severity can be managed with self-care.
Gout flares can last for a few days to sometimes weeks.
Long periods of remission can then follow, lasting from months to years.
Some common symptoms of gout are:
Gout is caused due to hyperuricemia.
Hyperuricemia is when the body builds up and stores excess uric acid in monosodium urate crystals.
Men who suffer from obesity are more prone to develop gout.
If you suffer from hypertension, diabetes congestive heart failure, you are more likely to suffer from gout.
Compromised kidney function and using certain medications can make you prone to gout.
Eating a diet high in purines, such as sardines, tuna, and alcoholic beverages, can increase the risk of gout flares.
Purines are the compounds that the body breaks down to make uric acid.
Gout is a debilitating disease that affects almost 41 million people worldwide.
Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for gout.
However, a new study reports that a probiotic strain can lower the number of flares a patient experiences.
It can also reduce the need for more drug-related therapies.
Researchers worked with a bacteria called Ligilactobacilus salivarius.
They worked with different strains to understand the most suitable and found that L. salivarius CECT 30632 metabolized uric acid.
The researchers then conducted a clinical trial with 30 participants with a hyperuricemia history.
Some were given the strain of bacteria, while others received allopurinol, a drug used for gout management.
This study showed that those who received the bacterial strain experienced a reduced frequency of gout flares.
Also, they reported improved blood parameters, liver damage, and metabolic syndrome.
The study showed that probiotics positively affected people suffering from gout.
Finding safer drug alternatives is essential since gout patients also have other comorbidities, such as cardiovascular diseases.
Probiotics are a safe option for gout management.
However, more long-term studies are needed to understand the benefits of probiotics for gout management.
Probiotics are living microorganisms found in fermented foods.
They are usually beneficial for the human body and naturally live in the gastrointestinal tract and the intestine.
Probiotics help digestion and prevent yeast infections, eczema, and urinary tract infections.
Studies show that a bacteria called L. Salivarius can help ease gout symptoms.
These bacteria usually live in the gastrointestinal tract.
As of now, gout has no cure.
However, gout can be made manageable by making minor changes in diet and lifestyle.
Gout can be managed by making simple dietary and lifestyle changes.
Water is one of the best drinks to prevent a gout flare-up.
It is because water flushes out excess uric acid from the blood.
So increase your water intake if you suffer from gout.
Coffee and other caffeinated drinks can also help ease gout flares.
Walking on gout may help improve symptoms and ease pain.
Joint-friendly exercises like walking or swimming minimize the risk of injuries.
However, you should start slow and pay attention to how your body reacts to physical activity.
Gout is a debilitating form of arthritis affecting more than 41 million people worldwide.
It can cause inflamed joints and pain.
Gout attacks can occur suddenly and last for a few days to weeks.
There is no cure for gout as yet.
A new study shows that gout can be treated with probiotics.
A strain of bacteria called L. salivarius has shown promising results in improving gout symptoms.
If you are one of those individuals who always regain the lost weight after phases of intense dieting, then the Yo-Yo effect could be the culprit.
The Yo-Yo effect leads to unintentional weight gain after dieting and may prevent people from maintaining the lost weight.
A recent study reports brain-level changes during dieting, increasing hunger and appetite.
Keep reading to learn how to combat the Yo-Yo effect and tips to prevent weight regain after dieting.
Your genes may be one reason why you tend to regain weight after you lose it. Learn more:
Some people are just not able to maintain their weight after a period of intense dieting. The excess weight starts creeping up right after they stop the diet.
In a few months, they regain the weight they lost during dieting.
This is what researchers called the Yo-Yo effect.
If you also struggle with the Yo-Yo effect, there could be a scientific explanation behind this.
A 2023 article published by the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research suggests that the brain may increase hunger and appetite after dieting, leading to weight regain.
There can be several reasons why dieters regain weight after weight loss.
When the body loses fat and muscle, thanks to dieting, it goes into shock and tries to replenish the lost nutrition.
According to researchers, the body starts producing excess hunger-inducing hormones, which can increase appetite.
As a result, the person starts eating more after a period of the diet, gaining the lost weight quickly.
While losing weight through diet, people generally lose fat and muscle together.
After discontinuing the diet and starting to eat regular food, fat accumulates much faster than muscles.
The body encourages the person to eat more to build muscle. In this process, the person gains back weight after dieting.
Diet, stress, and mental health are related. A 2020 study reports that specific diets that lack macro and micronutrients can increase the risk of developing stress-related mental disorders.
Stress increases cortisol levels in the body.
Cortisol, in turn, increases appetite and leads to emotional eating or binge eating.
This could be another reason why people regain the weight.
Calorie-deficit diets bring down muscle mass.
Loss of muscle mass affects the metabolism rate. Metabolism is the process by which food is burnt for energy. A higher metabolism means your body digests food easily and quickly uses nutrients.
People with a low metabolism burn calories much slower, increasing their risk of putting on weight.
A 2015 study reports that a calorie-deficit feeding habit bought down the metabolism rate.
This can lead to weight regain.
Psychologist Kelly D. Brownell from Yale University coined the word Yo-Yo effect.
Yo-Yo effect is also called weight cycling.
This happens when people go through periods of intentional weight loss followed by unintentional weight regain.
This cycle may continue for long periods without the person being able to maintain the lost weight.
In fact, a 2014 study reports that 80% of people who lost weight after following a specific diet regained their weight within one year.
Scientists believe that a drastic diet affects the metabolism rate. This could be one reason people regain weight after losing body fat.
Following a calorie-restricted diet or fasting for longer periods may put the body in a ‘starvation mode.’
When the body goes into starvation mode, it focuses on preserving energy. As a result, the body may start burning calories slower than the average rate.
For instance, if your body needed 2100 calories to maintain your weight before the diet, after dieting, the body may need just 1800 calories to support itself.
As a result, after dieting, when you consume the same pre-diet calories of 2100, the excess calories remain unused, leading to weight gain.
A 2023 study published by the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research and Harvard Medical School discusses the role of the brain in causing the Yo-Yo effect.
This study put research mice on a diet and then analyzed their brain signals during and after the diet.
The study reported that after dieting, the communication in the brain of these mice changed significantly.
In the brain, the AgRP neurons in the hypothalamus region are responsible for giving out hunger signals.
While on a diet, these neurons started giving out stronger hunger signals to the brain.
As a result, during the diet and long afterward, the brain received stronger hunger signals.
According to this study, the AgRP neurons kept sending stronger hunger signals for a long time after the diet phase.
So, to combat the Yo-Yo effect, the researchers suggest combining dieting with drugs that suppress the brain’s hunger signals.
This may prevent people from regaining the lost weight after dieting.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4205264/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4205264/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34043943/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26399868/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7468813/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23083917/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230324135218.htm
https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-diet-yo-yo-diet-effect
When a baby is born, one routine medical procedure is administering a vitamin K shot. This shot is given to help prevent bleeding disorders in newborns, which can be potentially life-threatening. However, as with any medical intervention, there are pros and cons to consider before deciding whether to give the vitamin K shot at birth. This article will explore this standard medical procedure’s potential benefits and drawbacks.
Since 1961, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended giving vitamin K shots to newborns to prevent the risk of Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB).
Giving the shot right after birth can reduce the risk of life-threatening internal bleeding, occurring anytime between 0 and 6 months in infants.
According to experts, one out of five babies with VKDB die because of the condition. Two out of every five survivors end up with long-term neurological damage.
VKDB may also lead to motor skill defects, cognitive issues, and organ failures in surviving children.
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is found in two forms in the food you consume.
One of the essential uses of vitamin K is making the proteins needed for blood clotting.
Vitamin K deficiency can lead to low levels of prothrombin in the blood.
Prothrombin is a blood clotting protein, and lack of blood clotting factors can lead to hemorrhage (internal bleeding) and blood loss.
In adults, vitamin K deficiency is very rare. It happens in individuals with malabsorption issues or those under medications that interfere with vitamin K absorption.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), infants between 0 and 6 months need two micrograms of vitamins K/day to maintain adequate nutritional levels.
However, most newborns have low levels of vitamin K in their blood. Two main reasons for this are:
Low vitamin K levels in infants put them at a higher risk for developing VKDB in the first six months of their life.
Three types of VKDB occur in infants.
Early VKDB occurs within 24 hours of birth.
The baby could be born with an existing bleeding disorder, which may worsen due to low vitamin K levels.
The use of certain maternal medications also increases the risk of early VKDB.
Classic VKDB occurs between 24 hours and one week of birth.
This is due to a natural decrease in vitamin K levels, which is not replenished by breast milk.
Late VKDB occurs between one and 24 weeks (6 months) of birth. This could result from existing liver problems in the baby, making the liver unable to produce clotting factors.
All three cases of VKDB causes bleeding in the gut or brain and can turn severe quickly.
Vitamin K is usually given as a single intramuscular shot right after birth.
The injection contains vitamin K and certain safe additives that maintain the vitamin’s pH levels and improve its absorption rate.
A single shot of 0.5 mg (for babies weighing less than 1500g at birth) or 1 mg (weighing over 1500g at birth) of vitamin K given right after birth can entirely bring down the risk of developing Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding.
According to the Canadian Pediatric Society, the vitamin K shot must be given within six hours of birth to reduce the risk of VKDB entirely.
For parents who prefer oral supplementation over shots, oral vitamin K doses are also available for newborns.
Oral vitamin K supplements are offered to newborns in three doses – within six hours of birth, 2-4 weeks, and 6-8 weeks.
Parents must note that oral vitamin K supplementation is less effective than vitamin K shots.
A 2019 study analyzed why parents refuse vitamin K shots to their infants after birth.
The following are the reasons stated by parents.
Some parents also ask if they could wait and see if their baby needs vitamin K shots before administering them.
According to medical experts, this may not work. The baby will start showing symptoms only after internal bleeding has occurred.
Babies with low vitamin K at birth may start bleeding internally since their livers cannot form blood clotting factors.
When the bleeding does not stop, the condition gets severe and medical interventions may not be helpful.
One of the biggest pros of vitamin K shots is increasing the risk of internal bleeding in babies under six months of age.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are no severe side effects of vitamin K shots identified.
Just like other shots, vitamin K injections may lead to swelling or bruising in the place of injection.
In some cases, the shots can cause mild pain or scarring of the skin. All these symptoms should disappear in a few days.
Scientists and doctors worldwide believe there is no link between vitamin K shots and childhood cancer and conclude that these shots are safe.
Some of the vitamin K shots have added benzyl alcohol as a preservative. Benzyl alcohol may be toxic when taken in large quantities.
However, benzyl alcohol in each shot is not high enough to cause toxicity and is safe.
All newborn babies have low vitamin K levels and would benefit from getting vit K shots or oral doses.
All hospitals and birthing clinics offer vitamin K for newborns.
They may also choose vitamin K oral doses over shots.
In most countries, vitamin K shots are offered for free.
Parents should know the pros and cons of choosing vitamin K shots for their babies to make an informed decision.
Have you ever felt a sudden pain in your upper right abdomen after a particularly stressful period? While many factors can contribute to the formation of gallstones, recent studies suggest that stress could be a potential culprit. This link between stress and gallstones raises critical questions about how our emotions impact physical health. In this article, we’ll explore whether stress can cause gallstones, the mechanisms behind this relationship, and what you can do to reduce your risk.
You may carry particular gene changes that increase your risk for various chronic health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and even gallstones! Learning about them can help you take actionable measures to reduce risk and possibly prevent these health conditions! Learn more:
Gallstones are hardened deposits typically made out of the digestive fluids that form in the gallbladder.
Gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ just below the liver, towards the right side of your abdomen.
The size of gallstones can range from as small as a grain of sand to as big as a golf ball.
The number of stones can also vary among different people.
The typical course of treatment is gallbladder removal or cholecystectomy. However, if someone doesn’t experience symptoms, they may not require surgery.
Gallstones often do not cause any symptoms, but when they do, they can range from mild to severe. Here are some of the common symptoms of gallstones:
Bile is the digestive fluid present inside the gallbladder. Gallstones are thought to occur when there’s a chemical imbalance in the bile.
However, the reason behind the chemical imbalance is still unclear.
Two things in the bile can contribute to gallstone formation.
The following groups of people are more likely to get gallstones:
When the body is under stress, its energy is diverted from functions like digestion, so it can use all its resources to trigger the “fight-or-flight” response.
Digestion is slowed by lowering the contraction of digestive muscles and decreasing the secretion of digestive juices, like bile.
Chronic stress can result in repeated inhibition of bile release from the gallbladder, disrupting the entire biliary system.
This can increase the bile’s cholesterol concentration, leading to gallstones.
Research shows diminished gallbladder emptying observed in patients with cholesterol gallstones.
Thus, chronic stress may lead to gallstone formation by affecting gallbladder emptying or bile secretion from the gallbladder.
While managing stress can help the body in numerous ways, it can particularly result in improved gut health and reduced risk of digestive troubles and gut-associated health conditions.
Here are some effective strategies to manage stress for improved gut health:
Overall, managing stress is essential for maintaining a healthy gut. Stress-reducing strategies and healthy lifestyle habits can promote better gut health and overall well-being.
Gallstones are caused when a chemical imbalance in bile (a digestive juice present in the gallbladder) causes it to crystallize and hardens, resulting in stone-like structures. Factors like a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet, a sedentary lifestyle, and obesity can contribute to gallstone formation. Uncontrolled stress can also result in gallstone formation by affecting gallbladder emptying. When the body is under stress, the energy from digestion goes toward fighting stress. So, digestive juices like bile are not released from the gallbladder. This can eventually lead to a build-up of bile juice with increased cholesterol concentration, leading to gallstone formation.
Did you know that hemophilia is a rare genetic disorder that affects approximately 1 in 10,000 people worldwide? If you’re a woman or assigned female at birth, you may not even know you’re a carrier until you have a son with hemophilia, as it’s passed down through the X chromosome. In this article, we’ll explore the inheritance patterns of hemophilia and how you can determine if you’re a carrier.
Hemophilia is a rare genetic disorder that affects the body’s ability to form blood clots, which are necessary to stop bleeding after an injury.
People with hemophilia have a deficiency or dysfunction of specific proteins in their blood called clotting factors, which can cause prolonged bleeding and slow or incomplete healing.
Uncontrolled bleeding into the joints, muscles, brain, or other internal organs can result in serious complications.
Severe forms of hemophilia can result in spontaneous bleeding. However, milder conditions may not result in spontaneous bleeding and thus may be difficult to diagnose until surgery or a severe injury.
The two major types of hemophilia are:
Even though both types present with similar symptoms, they are caused by mutations in different genes.
Those with hemophilia have a deficiency of either factor VIII or factor IX, critical proteins required for blood clotting.
The F8 and F9 genes contain instructions to produce these two proteins.
Factor VIII and factor IX proteins work together to seal off blood vessels damaged during an injury to minimize blood loss.
Changes or variants in the F8 and F9 genes can result in the production of abnormal versions or insufficient levels of the coagulation proteins.
This can lead to problems in the blood clotting process and result in uncontrolled bleeding.
In severe hemophilia, the coagulation proteins are completely absent; in mild hemophilia, the activity of the proteins is reduced.
Acquired hemophilia is not a result of genetic variants. It occurs when the body’s immune system starts attacking factor VIII – an autoimmune disorder.
Hemophilia A and hemophilia B are inherited in an X-linked recessive pattern.
The F8 and F9 genes are located on the X chromosome, one of the sex chromosomes.
People assigned males at birth have one copy of the X chromosome and one copy of the Y chromosome.
Due to this, even one copy of the altered F8 or F9 gene can result in hemophilia in males.
People assigned females at birth have two copies of the X chromosome.
So even if they have one copy of the altered genes, the normal copies on the other X chromosome can compensate for the lowered activity.
Hence, in most cases (except for X-inactivation), they may not have hemophilia, even if they have a copy of the altered gene. Therefore they are “carriers” of hemophilia.
However, there’s a 50% chance they pass the altered gene copy to their offspring.
If the daughter receives it, she continues to be a carrier; if the son receives it, he will be affected by hemophilia.
Hemophilia is typically inherited from the mother.
Hemophilia-causing genes are located on the X chromosome, one of the two sex chromosomes.
If a female carrier has a son, there is a 50% chance that he will inherit the mutated gene and develop hemophilia and a 50% chance that he will inherit the normal gene and not have hemophilia.
If the female carrier has a daughter, there is a 50% chance that she will inherit the mutated gene and be a carrier and a 50% chance that she will inherit the normal gene and not be a carrier.
Conditions inherited in an X-linked recessive manner more commonly affect males than females since males only have on the X chromosome.
A daughter will get affected only when an affected father and a carrier mother each pass only the faulty gene copy to the daughter.
Being a carrier of hemophilia means that a person has a mutated hemophilia gene on one of their X chromosomes but not on the other.
As a result, carriers typically do not experience symptoms of hemophilia themselves.
However, they can pass the mutated gene on to their children.
Female carriers have a 50% chance of passing the mutated gene to each of their children, regardless of their gender.
Since they can pass either their normal X chromosome or their mutated X chromosome to their offspring.
It is important for carriers to be aware of their status, as they may have a higher risk of having a child with hemophilia.
Carriers can be identified through genetic testing, which can detect the presence of the hemophilia gene mutation in their DNA.
Genetic counseling may also be recommended for carriers and their families to help them understand the risks associated with hemophilia inheritance and to make informed decisions about family planning and medical management.
A genetic test analyzes a small sample of your blood or saliva to look for changes in the hemophilia genes.
Different types of genetic tests can be used to diagnose hemophilia carrier status.
One common method is called DNA sequencing. This involves reading the entire genetic code of the hemophilia genes to detect any mutations.
Genetic testing can be done before or during pregnancy to determine the risk of having a child with hemophilia.
For example, suppose a woman knows she is a carrier of the hemophilia gene mutation. In that case, she may choose to undergo prenatal testing during pregnancy to determine whether the developing fetus has inherited the mutated gene.
This information can help the parents make decisions about medical management and family planning.
Hemophilia is caused by gene mutations that provide instructions for making proteins necessary for blood clotting. They are located on the X chromosome. As a result, hemophilia is more commonly inherited by males than females since males have only one X chromosome. Females are usually carriers of hemophilia and can pass the mutated gene on to their children. Genetic testing is a reliable way to determine carrier status and can be done before or during pregnancy. This can help parents make decisions about medical management and family planning. It is often recommended that genetic testing be done in the context of genetic counseling to help individuals and families understand the implications of the results.