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 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
For those living with thalassemia minor, dietary choices can greatly impact their health and well-being.
However, with conflicting information and a wide range of foods to choose from, it can be difficult to determine what to eat and avoid.
This article aims to explore essential elements of a thalassemia minor diet. Further, it provides insights into making informed choices that support your health and manage your symptoms.
You may carry genes associated with inherited conditions and not develop the condition but may pass it to your children.
Thalassemia is a blood disorder inherited from parents.
In this disease, the body does not produce enough hemoglobin.
As a result, red blood cells (RBCs) don’t function properly in the body and last for a shorter period.
Due to the shortage of RBCs in the body, oxygen is not adequately transported to the organs.
People with thalassemia often experience shortness of breath and suffer from anemia.
Beta thalassemia, the more severe form of thalassemia, can be of two types: major and minor.
Of these, minor thalassemia patients do not show any symptoms and are often unaware that they have the condition.
May 8 is designated as World Thalassemia day.
People with thalassemia are encouraged to make healthier lifestyle choices to manage the disorder.
Patients with thalassemia are more prone to suffer from nutritional deficiencies.
They are often prescribed oral chelators for treatment that reduce appetite and make an individual nauseous.
It might lead to nutritional deficiency.
Chelation therapy also leads to the loss of certain minerals like zinc from the body.
Thalassemia patients are encouraged to include foods rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals.
A thalassemia diet should contain protein sources that are not high in iron.
It should also include foods rich in minerals like zinc and calcium that strengthen the bone.
But these foods should also be low in iron content.
Eggs, peanut butter, cheese, and soy are ideal proteins for thalassemia patients.
Over time, this may lead to bone deformities.
Milk, yogurt, cheese, and white beans can prevent calcium deficiency in thalassemia patients.
Milk fortified with vitamin D can be a good option for thalassemia patients.
If it is inadequate, supplements can be added after consulting your doctor.
Crabs, oysters, and peanuts are rich in zinc.
A diet low in iron is recommended for both transfused and non-transfused patients.
Transfusions can lead to iron accumulation in the liver.
Once the liver is saturated, iron accumulates in the heart and pituitary.
Too much iron in the diet can lead to health problems.
Thus it is necessary to avoid high amounts of iron in the diet.
Patients should avoid iron-rich red meat like beef and pork.
Other foods high in iron, like raisins, fava beans, broccoli, and leafy green vegetables, must be avoided.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified medical practitioner before making any significant dietary changes.
People with thalassemia are often suggested to include some form of exercise in their daily routine.
Thalassemia patients can often find it very overwhelming to exercise daily.
Frequent blood transfusions can lead to chronic tiredness.
However, studies have shown that thalassemia patients are prone to muscle mass loss and osteoporosis.
That is why thalassemia patients can significantly benefit from regular exercise.
A little brisk walking can also be highly beneficial for the body.
Individuals diagnosed with thalassemia are considered to be at a higher risk for contracting infections, particularly if their spleen has been removed.
It's crucial for them to stay current with all their recommended vaccinations to minimize this risk.
More attention on vaccinations for the Hemophilus influenza B, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Neisseria meningitides bacteria is highly recommended.
Thalassemia is a blood disorder that is passed down from a parent to their child.
It is a common autosomal recessive disorder that affects 1 in every 100,000 individuals in the United States.
People affected by thalassemia minor are usually asymptomatic.
This disease is managed with a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Thalassemia patients are prescribed a diet rich in calcium, zinc, and vitamin D-containing foods.
They include milk, yogurt, cheese, and peanut butter.
Avoiding iron is necessary as the disease makes it challenging to digest iron.
Besides a healthy diet, light yet regular exercise can also benefit thalassemia patients.
Regardless of what your fitness goals may be, aerobic capacity is an important metric to focus on. It determines how well your body can utilize oxygen. Simply put, the better the aerobic capacity, the longer you will be able to sustain exercises. Aerobic training not only helps achieve peak fitness but also improves cardiac health and respiratory functions. An individual's genetic makeup can determine up to 50% of their aerobic capacity by influencing factors such as antioxidant production, heart function, etc. The analysis of such genes and their variants can give a clearer idea of the kind of training you need to take on to achieve maximum results.
Aerobic capacity (AC) is the maximum amount of oxygen consumed while performing intense activities that involve large muscle groups.
It is also a measure of how effectively the heart and the lungs get oxygen to the muscles. Hence, improving your aerobic capacity can directly result in more efficient use of oxygen by the body.
The other term which is used to describe aerobic capacity is vO2 max.
However, the vO2 max also takes into consideration the individual's body weight.
One of the best ways to estimate your cardiovascular fitness is by calculating your aerobic capacity.
If you are in a fitness center, one of the following two techniques can be used to measure your AC
A simpler and less accurate way of measurement is a walk/run test.
This requires walking/running at the maximum speed you can and measuring your heart rate at the end of it.
With this measurement, you can use one of the many online calculators that are available to check your Aerobic Capacity.
For instance, the Rockport walk test is one such calculator that requires the input of your heart rate, time of the run/walk, and your weight to calculate your Aerobic Capacity.
Genes majorly control a lot of factors that have an association with the fitness levels of an individual.
According to a study in 2016, 155 genetic markers were found to be associated with better athletic performance, 93 of which were endurance-related markers, and the other 62 were power/strength related markers.
Polymorphisms of ACE, ADRB, ACTN3, PPARGC1A were one of the first genetic markers found to be associated with athletic performance.
There's another famous exercise genetics study conducted by a consortium of five universities in the United States and Canada revealed astonishing variation in the aerobic capacity among the 481 participants.
The study subjected its participants to identical stationary-bicycle training regimens with three workouts per week of increasing intensity under strict control in the lab.
The results
These can be attributed to the variants of genes like NRF1, NRF2, VEGF, PPARA, etc. that an individual carries.
The nuclear respiratory factor (NRF2) gene influences the vo2 max. NRF2 regulates the expression of antioxidant proteins and thus can influence the oxygen uptake.
| Genotype | Implication |
|---|---|
| AA | 57.5 % higher training response |
| CC | Normal training response |
Some genes affect a few secondary traits that exert influence on aerobic capacity.
For example, genetic variations in VEGF in the gene influence heart structure, size, and function. These have an impact on the stroke volume which is an important determinant of aerobic performance.
| Genotype | Implication |
|---|---|
| GG | Reduced aerobic performance |
| CC | Normal aerobic performance |
Genetics is only 50% of the fitness story.
The rest wires down to other factors like your lifestyle, your eating habits, and your training.
Getting at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week is vital to ensure a longer healthier life
Augmenting your aerobic capacity can result in better blood and oxygen flow to muscles.
Therefore, this promotes faster recovery between sets and improves your flexibility.
Aerobic exercises include walking, running, cycling, swimming, and almost every other cardio workout.
When aerobic exercises are performed, your heart is trained to deliver more oxygen in a said span of time, and at the same time, your muscles are trained to utilize the oxygen delivered more efficiently.
To improve your aerobic capacity, it is important to understand how your body builds endurance.
It depends on the following three things:
When you train to increase all the above-mentioned variables, naturally the amount of blood and oxygen, reaching your muscles increase.
This, in turn, has a positive effect on your overall athletic performance.
Aerobic training usually, targets large muscle groups of your body that boost your heart rate for longer periods of time.
Some of the commonly recommended aerobic exercises include
Some of the aerobic exercises that you can do at home include:
If you are already not inspired to take up aerobics, take a look at the benefits you can acquire from aerobic training.
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