C-Reactive Protein Gene: Marker of Inflammation
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 a problem with chronic inflammation. It is an easy biomarker…
Prothrombin and DVT
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 swollen and warm… Oh no, this could be the…
Factor V Leiden
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 actions going on behind the scenes to stop that…
The cheese effect and your genes.
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 wide. Your uncle brings his “special family recipe” of summer…
PCSK9 Gene Variants and Cholesterol
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 the liver (or other cell membranes) to use the fats…
Low HDL Levels Can Be Genetic
HDL cholesterol is known as the ‘good’ cholesterol. A study in the late 1970s/early 80s known as the Framingham Study determined that higher levels of HDL cholesterol were protective against heart disease. This is one of those studies that is foundational to a lot…
Heart disease, cancer, diabetes: A gene that ties together the “Big 3”
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 at an alarming rate. I recently was reading several…
Mediterranean Diet and Your Genes
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 A. But a recent study pointed out not only…
Should I Take Aspirin to Prevent Heart Disease?
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…
Lipoprotein(a): A big genetic risk for heart disease
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 tempting to think that people who exercise, are thin,…
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