OrganizedWisdom Health - Genetics

Genes Affect Blood Pressure Risk

AmyS — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:13:37 GMT

A recent study shows that genes interact with a person's lifestyle choices to increase or decrease the risk of high blood pressure. Three lifestyle choices are well known risks for high blood pressure: smoking, not exercising, and excessive alcohol consumption. By exercising regularly, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol use, one may be able to override their inherited genes.

Fast Facts:

The study is ongoing, and now includes over 3,600 people between the ages of 14 and 93.
The researchers' next step is to identify specific genes that interact with each lifestyle choice.
This study appears in Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics.

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Fabrazyme Dosage

LeanneD — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:20:46 GMT

As with many medications, your physician will consider several things prior to prescribing Fabrazyme, including your overall medical history, age, and weight. Fabrazyme is administered via intravenous injection, and the typical dosage for the treatment of Fabry disease is 1.0 mg per kilogram of body weight, which is infused every two weeks. Initially, the infusion rate should not exceed 0.25 mg per min, or 15 mg per hour. Once it is determined that you tolerate the Fabrazyme infusion without complications, the rate of the infusion can be increased in increments of 0.05 to 0.08 mg per minute, if your physician feels it is necessary.

Fast Facts:

Brand name for the generic agalsidase beta
Fabrazyme is administered in a controlled environment, by a health care professional.
While being treated with Fabrazyme, it may be necessary to have certain medical procedures to monitor the progress of your therapy.

Visit http://organizedwisdom.com/Fabrazyme_Dosage

Migraine Genetics

Amymarlatt — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:07:46 GMT

Genetics hold a lot of promise when it comes to understanding migraines. Those patients who suffer from migraines know that they run in families. Scientists are now looking for the gene or genes responsible for them. So far two have been discovered on chromosomes 1 and 19. It has also been recently discovered that a certain gene is important in how we respond to vitamin B2. B2 can be an important supplement for those who suffer from migraines. Continuing research shows how genes and migraines are connected.

Fast Facts:

People who suffer from migraines are also thought to have an inherited abnormality in the regulation of the blood vessels.
Migraines are also affected by stress, red wine, and caffeine.
Other research is also being done on the link between migraines and your environment.

Visit http://organizedwisdom.com/Migraine_Genetics

Can Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis be Passed Down

Tbingel — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:44:43 GMT

The exact cause of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is not known. JRA is a multifactarial medical condition. There are many factors, genetics, infection and environment, that influence the immune system. Juvenile arthritis is not strictly hereditary and rarely affects more than one family member. However, researchers believe some children have genes that make them more likely to get the disease. Exposure to something in the environment (for example, a virus) can then trigger juvenile arthritis in these children.

Fast Facts:

Juvenile arthritis is generally considered an autoimmune disease.
Juvenile arthritis is an uncommon disease characterized by inflammation of joints or connective tissue.
There are some genetic markers in children with certain types of juvenile arthritis.
No more than 10% of children with a parent with arthritis will develop a similar condition.

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Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Hereditary

AndreaMB1978 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:52:56 GMT

There have been certain links found between heredity and rheumatoid arthritis. The genetic link has been found in an autoimmune gene called HLA-DR4. It has been found that 60-70% of people with European ancestry who have rheumatoid arthritis, carry this unique gene. Scientists are using genetics to try to figure out why people of different races and sex are affected so differently by rheumatoid arthritis and similar conditions. Another gene of focus is HLA-B27. People with this gene have a higher prevalence of ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis. This gene is found to be higher in several North American Indian tribes. There is believed to be enough of a link that a person's doctor should ask them about family history of the disease during the diagnosis process.

Fast Facts:

Genes are only modestly shown to increase the risk for rheumatoid arthritis, leading many to believe that environment has a larger role.
Children of parents with rheumatoid arthritis often test positive for the present genes along with rheumatoid factor, but never develop the disease itself.
No more than 10% of children with parents affected with rheumatoid arthritis will actually develop the condition.
Around 2/3 of the Caucasian population with rheumatoid arthritis carry the HLA-DR4 gene, while it is only found in 20% of the general population.

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Depression and Insomnia May Be Linked

AmyS — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:49:28 GMT

Researchers have identified a genetic link between depression, anxiety, and insomnia. It is recommended that adolescents who suffer from depression or anxiety also be screened for insomnia. These results indicate that insomnia in children aged 8-16 is moderately likely to be inherited.

Fast Facts:

Over 1,300 twin pairs were analyzed for this study.
Lead study author Phillip Gehrman, Ph.D., was surprised they did not find sleep-specific genetic effects.
These findings will be presented at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies' annual meeting.

Visit http://organizedwisdom.com/Depression_and_Insomnia_May_Be_Linked

PAPA Syndrome

MStaker — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:03:38 GMT

PAPA syndrome is a genetic disorder that consists of pyogenic arthritis, pyoderma gangrenosum, and acne. Children have a 50% chance of inheriting PAPA syndrome from an affected parent. The disorder begins with arthritis at an early age. The changes to the skin usually occur during puberty.

Fast Facts:

A mutation of genes on chromosome 15q is the cause of PAPA syndrome.
The acne associated with PAPA syndrome usually causes scarring.
PAPA syndrome is also referred to as familial recurrent arthritis.

Visit http://organizedwisdom.com/PAPA_Syndrome

Down Syndrome May Hold Cancer Cure

AmyS — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 04:12:38 GMT

Researchers believe that people with Down syndrome may hold the key to a whole new generation of cancer drugs. Due to their extra copy of chromosome 21, people with Down syndrome inherit an extra 231 genes. Among these genes may be the answer to the riddle of why solid tumors are very rare in those with Down syndrome.

Fast Facts:

A gene called Dscr1 (found on chromosome 21) has reduced cancer growth in mice.
These genes interfere with signals a tumor uses to stimulate blood vessel growth.
This study appears in the medical journal Nature.

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NIH Launches Program for Rare Diseases

Crdelucas — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:47:42 GMT

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases (TRND) program in May of 2009. NIH is receiving 24 million dollars per year for the next five years from Congress for this drug development program. It costs approximately 10 million dollars and a two to four year time span from discovering a new drug in a laboratory to receiving FDA approval for human clinical trials. New drug development has been dubbed the "Valley of Death" due to the 80 to 90 percent failure rate. The TRND program was put into place to perform the start-up development that pharmaceutical companies do not have the time and resources for.

Fast Facts:

Approximately 25 million individuals in the United States are affected by a rare disease.
Rare diseases are defined as affecting less than 200,000 people.
It is estimated that there are more than 6,800 rare diseases with only approximately 200 pharmacologic treatments available.
NIH Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR) will work in collaboration with the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).

Visit http://organizedwisdom.com/NIH_Launches_Program_for_Rare_Diseases

Gene May Increase Autism in Boys

SScroggins — Sat, 23 May 2009 17:09:44 GMT

Researchers have recently uncovered a genetic variant that may help to explain why autism affects more boys than girls. A newly discovered variant on chromosome 17, known as CACNA1G, appears more often in male children, and is found in up to 40% of autistic children. The CACNA1G chromosome is responsible for calcium regulation.

Fast Facts:

A variant is a gene that has experienced subtle changes, making it different from normal DNA.
Researchers intend to sequence the gene in those who possess the altered variant to identify the exact change which links it to autism development.
Currently one out of every 150 children in America is diagnosed with autism or an autism spectrum disorder.

Visit http://organizedwisdom.com/Gene_May_Increase_Autism_in_Boys