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    Monday, May 28, 2012

    Whole-genome sequencing may soon become clinically useful.


    Two newly published papers may reignite the once-"disappointing" search for the "genetic roots of major killers like heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's." In the seven or so years "since first full genetic code of a human was sequenced for some $500 million, less than a dozen genomes had been decoded, all of healthy people." Now, researchers at Baylor College and the Institute for Systems Biology were able to demonstrate that it is "possible to sequence the entire genome of a patient at reasonable cost and with sufficient accuracy to be of practical use to medical researchers."
            
    What makes the technology even more impressive, she said, is that these were whole genomes of people that provided 'very interesting stories about rare diseases.'" 

            University of Utah researchers, "used gene sequencing technology to take a closer look at a "four-member family. After completing and comparing the genomes, investigators were able to tell that the "two parents passed recessive genes to their two children, each of whom had a condition called Miller Syndrome that may cause cleft palates, misshapen ears, and short stature." According to the paper in Science, the children also had "a lung disorder called primary ciliary dyskinesia that can lead to pneumonia, bronchitis and other respiratory infections." 

            Indeed, "experts have long known that Miller syndrome is genetic."But they had never been able to pinpoint the gene." Having the entire family's genomes in their hands, however, "helped shrink the genetic haystack from thousands of genes to four likely targets," and investigators were also able to calculate the odds of inheriting the variants.

    Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.

    Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
    For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com

    Tuesday, May 15, 2012

    GARLIC CAN CAUSE INCREASED BLEEDING. RISKS OF “NATURAL” MEDICINES


    Herbal medicines are not always the harmless nostrums that many patients and even some physicians think, but may actually contribute to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, researchers warned in a review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology[JACC].
    Many such products, including aloe vera, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, and green tea, can interact with conventional cardiovascular drugs and lead to serious adverse reactions, according to the Mayo Clinic.

    The
    JACC article also listed 15 common herbal medicines known to interact adversely with conventional cardiovascular drugs.In many cases, the herbal products compete with the regular medicines for the same drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450 enzymes, potentiating the latter's effects. In other cases, the herbal products have their own cardiovascular effects.
    Many physicians already know that even “natural” grapefruit juice occupies the CYP3A4 enzyme, leading to slower-than-expected metabolism and, therefore, higher blood levels of a host of pharmaceuticals.These include the statins, calcium channel antagonists, several common anti-arrhythmic drugs, and the angiotensin receptor blocker irbesartan (Avapro), Jahangir and colleagues noted.
    Garlic is one of several common herbal remedies with specific cardiovascular effects in its own right (others include ginkgo biloba, ginseng, and saw palmetto). Garlic inhibits platelet aggregation and thus can lead to increased bleeding risks when combined with aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), or warfarin (Coumadin), the researchers noted.
    The Mayo group identified 10 herbal products that increase bleeding risks with anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs, and listed 27 herbal products that patients with cardiovascular diseases would do well to avoid. These include such common and harmless-seeming products as green tea, capsicum pepper, licorice, and kelp, as well as grapefruit juice and garlic.

    Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.

    Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
    For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com