Chronic inflammation is the driver of many common diseases such as heart attacks, diabetes, obesity, and autoimmune diseases. Measuring C-reactive protein (CRP) through a simple blood test is one way to know if you have Read more…
You wake up one morning with a pain in your leg, trying to think back as to what you did the previous day to cause it. Then you notice that your leg is a little Read more…
Say you are chopping up peppers for your morning omelet and slip with the knife. Ouch! While cutting your finger seems to produce a huge amount of blood compared to the size of the wound, the Read more…
Subtitled: Let’s all try not to have a heart attack this Christmas! Let me set the scene: You’re gathered ’round on Christmas Eve for a get together with all of your family, having traveled from far and Read more…
The PCSK9 gene codes for an enzyme that is involved in cholesterol transport. It binds to LDL particles which transport fat molecules, including cholesterol, throughout the body. LDL particles bind to LDL receptors which allows Read more…
HDL cholesterol is known as the ‘good’ cholesterol. A study in the late 1970’s known as the Framingham Study determined that higher levels of HDL cholesterol were protective against heart disease. This is one of Read more…
When it comes to chronic diseases, the Big 3 are heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Heart disease is the number one killer in the US, with cancer a close second. Diabetes numbers are increasing Read more…
This website is all about how your genes make a difference in your body’s response to dietary choices. Some people are awesome at breaking down dietary carbohydrates; others are champs at converting carrots into vitamin Read more…
Everyone knows that aspirin protects against heart disease, right? Well, it turns out that aspirin may only protect some people from heart disease, and for others, it can actually slightly increase the risk of heart disease. It all seems to depend on a variant of the COMT gene. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is the gene that codes for an enzyme that breaks down dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, as well as other substances. There are many studies on the common genetic polymorphisms of the COMT gene, and most of the studies focus on the neurological aspects of the enzyme. A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association looked at the effect of a common COMT polymorphism on cardiovascular disease. The study also looked at the combined effect of the variant along with either aspirin or vitamin E and cardiovascular disease. (more…)
For someone reading this, I’m going to save your life today. Nope – this isn’t a scare tactic or overblown health alert type of article – just statistics and solid genetics research. It is often Read more…