Reports
Health
Wellness
Anxiety is a mental condition that is characterized by feelings of excessive nervousness, worry, apprehension, and uneasiness.
These can interfere with a person’s behavior and change how they process emotions.
"Anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders; affecting 40 million adults in the United States.
Anxiety affects both your physical and mental well being, resulting in short or long term effects on your body.
From physical pains to a weakened immune system, anxiety can take a toll on your body. These effects include:-
Hand-Picked article for you: Have Your 23andMe Raw Data? Use It To Get 500+ Health-Realted Genetic Traits!
The term anxiety encompasses a multitude of mental disorders which include:
Although an accurate diagnosis can be provided only after clinical evaluation, there are a few signs and symptoms which could be a reason enough to suspect anxiety disorder. These include:-
"If you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms for long durations, seeking professional help for suitable diagnosis is advisable.
Anxiety triggers can vary from one person to the next. Often, it is more than just a single trigger. However, a lot of people suffering from anxiety share a said set of triggers. These include:
If you feel that you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, seeking professional help should be your priority.
Other than the help the professionals offer, there are a few things which you can do yourself to try and alleviate the symptoms of anxiety.
Anxiety by itself can drain you out completely, and when it comes to your workplace, you may experience the worst of it.
There are a few things that can help you manage your symptoms
Two parts of the brain, namely the amygdala and the hippocampus are involved in processing anxiety.
The amygdala alerts the rest of the brain and triggers an anxiety response in case of some danger, while the hippocampus stores such threatening events as memories.
The feeling of anxiety is part of your body's stress response.
Your fight or flight response is triggered, and your system is flooded with norepinephrine and cortisol.
It is also accompanied by physical symptoms like an increase in heart rate and perspiration.
Such responses are designed to give you a boost to perception, reflexes, and speed in dangerous situations.
However chronic stress may end up being detrimental to the brain.
"A recent study has shown that chronic stress could cause a structural degeneration of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus thereby inhibiting the brain’s control over stress response.
Though both anxiety and panic attacks share a lot of common ground, they are in fact not one and the same.
Anxiety is something that builds gradually and is ideally related to something that has the potency to be stressful or threatening.
Panic attack, on the other hand, is an abrupt onset of intense fear and almost every time occurs out of the blue.
An individual facing a panic attack is often seized with terror and apprehension.
Anxiety attack strikes due to an anticipation of a potentially dangerous situation, while a panic attack usually strikes when you are actually facing that dangerous situation.
Both conditions share a list of similar symptoms including palpitations, shortness of breath, nausea & dizziness, chest pain, etc.
The common treatment options for both include therapy, prescribed medications, and self-help strategies.
The symptoms of anxiety like shortness of breath, tingling sensations, and chest pain can have rattling effects on your brain.
As debilitating and scary the symptoms might be, anxiety by itself cannot kill you.
Heart palpitations during an anxiety attack may make you suspect a heart attack, but such symptoms usually pass after some time.
Although anxiety cannot kill you, chronic anxiety and stress can lead to other health issues like hypertension, heart diseases and weakening of the immune system.
So in order to prevent such anxiety-related illnesses, it is very important to seek professional help and keep the symptoms at bay.
Cancer risk is complex and involves many factors like our genes, environment, and lifestyle.
While anxiety and depression may be symptoms of underlying medical conditions like brain tumor (especially in the older age), they do not give rise to cancerous conditions.
However, the development of cancer could be a reflection of another confounding factor like poor diet or poor physical health (due to anxiety).
These, in turn, could be potential risks for cancer.
Regardless of the link to cancer, anxiety is a serious illness, and enough attention should be paid to manage it.
People with anxiety disorders are generally prone to sleep issues.
Troublesome thoughts and fears tend to keep them awake at night. This sleep deprivation can be linked to conditions like:-
If a drug (either taking it or stopping it) induces anxiety symptoms, it is called substance-induced anxiety disorder.
But if your pre-existing anxiety condition is just exacerbated by the drug, it does not fall under substance-induced anxiety.
Medications can cause different reactions in different people. Some medications target the same part of the brain that plays a role in anxiety symptoms. These include:-
While some studies link the usage of oral contraceptive pills (OCP) to anxiety, not every woman who consumes it faces anxiety symptoms.
The hormonal changes brought about by the OCPs act as a strong trigger for anxiety.
The synthetic hormones present in OCPs are said to promote more binding of sex and thyroid hormones, thereby lowering their levels in circulation.
This can induce hypothyroidism, weight gain, and depression.
"OCPs are also known to deplete vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which may again trigger the symptoms of anxiety
Tachycardia, an increase in the rate of heartbeat (response to anxiety), in serious cases can interfere with the normal functioning of the heart and make you more susceptible to sudden cardiac arrests
The first level of treatment for anxiety is therapy.
It is not advisable to take over-the-counter prescribed medications for anxiety.
It is always important to consult with a medical practitioner before starting a course of anti-anxiety medicines.
Such medications come under 4 primary classes:-
(citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline)
Works the same way as SSRI and block the reabsorption of serotonin and norepinephrine
(duloxetine, venlafaxine)
Prescribed instead of SSRI and SNRI on account of fewer side effects
(amitriptyline, imipramine, nortriptyline)
Sedative drugs that release the tension in muscles and help with relaxation
(alprazolam, chlordiazepoxide, diazepam, lorazepam)
"Other medications include monoamine oxidase inhibitors, anticonvulsants, beta blockers, and atypical antipsychotics.
Minerals like calcium and magnesium help to nourish the nervous system and prevent anxiety, panic attacks, and restlessness or irritability.
Anxiety can be influenced by environmental factors as well as genetic factors.
When it comes to the heritability of anxiety, science is still hazy on that.
Even though a person whose parents have anxiety disorder doesn’t inherit it, he/she is definitely at a greater odds of developing it in the future.
Here is where we can bring in the term “genetic predisposition”.
It basically describes the increased likelihood of someone developing a condition, based on their genetic makeup.
So in other words, that person becomes genetically susceptible to developing anxiety.
Even if the disorder itself is not passed down, the particular set of inherited genes may play a role in the predisposition of anxiety.
There are several genes that contribute directly or indirectly to the body’s response to stress.
Studying the variations in such genes can help predict how you may be able to handle stress
The Xcode Life Gene Health report does not help with the treatment directly but provides you with insights on how to hack your genes to understand a little more about how anxiety affects your body.
You can upload your DNA raw data from 23andMe, Ancestry DNA, Family Tree DNA etc. to get information about the genetic variants of anxiety that you carry.
A lot of children with anxiety go undiagnosed because they don’t present with the obvious symptoms as adults do.
Even a child struggling in a particular subject might be indicative of anxiety. The signs that you should look out for include:-
Before putting children on anti-anxiety medications, therapies can be considered after consultation with a medical practitioner.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps with distorted thinking and dysfunctional behavior.
It puts children in a “safe environment” and expose them to anxiety triggers in increments.
The purpose of this is to make them accustomed to the triggers and normally respond to them.
Exposure therapy also works in the same way but digs deeper into the roots.
The way to a healthy mind is through proper diet. Here are some food suggestions that may provide some relief from anxiety.
It contains flavonoids that improve brain functions. It also increases serotonin levels
Tryptophan also helps regulate sleep
Without the fiber, the body absorbs too much sugar from the juice
Separation anxiety is the fear of being separated from a particular person or sometimes even a pet.
Although separation anxiety is mostly associated with kids and children, it is common among adults too.
People with separation anxiety might experience the following:-
The dynamics of establishing a “permanent cure” for anxiety is more complex than it may seem.
Even though medications are available to treat the symptoms of anxiety, they don’t reverse the disorder itself.
The many forms of anxiety disorders can be well-tackled using therapies and medications, but none promise a cure for these conditions.
The nature of anxiety by itself is chronic and recurring.
Herbal supplements or other treatments may help to put a temporary fuse on it and might make you feel that you are anxiety-free.
But these just work around the symptoms and not deal with the underlying issue.
While we’re on this, it is also important to know that you do not need to reverse your anxiety disorder totally to lead a normal, happy life.
As long as you learn to manage the symptoms and gain control over your anxiety, you’ll be good to go.
Except for a few extreme cases, anxiety is not something that should be eradicated from our system completely.
The fight-or-flight response triggered by anxiety keeps us on toes and boosts our reflexes, enabling us to face threats in a better way.
A little bit of anxiety can be considered as a survival mechanism that helps us get through stressful situations.
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that is characterized by hallucinations, delusions, scattered or disorganized thoughts, and cognitive disabilities.
It usually occurs in early adolescence or early adulthood between the ages 16-30 yrs.
It is more common in men than in women and affects about 1% of the global population.
Schizophrenia can be slow in development where an individual does not know that he/she has been suffering from the condition for long and in some cases, it can develop suddenly.
The signs and symptoms are often difficult to distinguish from other similar mental disorders.
There are many indications shown by individuals who have schizophrenia.
These signs are difficult to recognize in teenagers. A few symptoms include:
Schizophrenia can strike without a warning.
It is also often diagnosed late as it is mistaken for other mental disorders with similar signs.
However, there are some early or first signs that can help detect this mental condition:
Hand-Picked article for you: Have Your 23andMe Raw Data? Use It To Get 500+ Health-Realted Genetic Traits!
The early signs seen in children include:
Like we saw earlier, diagnosing schizophrenia is often done after ruling out other conditions with similar symptoms and signs.
However, to test if a person is suffering from the condition, the diagnosis includes the following steps:
There are new genetic tests that are being developed to determine how likely an individual is to develop schizophrenia.
These tests are currently in the initial stages, but once they are successfully launched, they can help health professionals to detect the risk and intervene much before the condition develops in a high-risk individual.
Mental disorders develop as a result of a combination of genetic, social psychological and environmental factors.
There are no specific genes or mutations that can tell you with 100% certainty that an individual will or will not develop a mental health disorder.
However, having a family member or relative with one does put you at an increased risk of developing a mental health disorder.
The International Classification of Diseases Manual-10 (ICD-10) classifies Schizophrenia into five subtypes:
However, in 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-V) changed this method of classification and brought all these subtypes into one umbrella –schizophrenia.
Paranoid Schizophrenia is the most common type and develops at a later stage than other types of the disease.
Schizotypal is a personality disorder where the individual loses track of how his/her behavior affects others and are often described as odd or eccentric among their close circle.
The symptoms of this disorder include social withdrawal, avoiding close relationships and intimacy, being emotionally unavailable or distant, hallucinations, eccentricity or peculiar behavior.
This disorder is diagnosed when these symptoms become very disabling or persistent.
In fact, schizotypal is seen as a premorbid, arrested or a mild form of schizophrenia.
A person who has schizophrenia having active symptoms rarely knows that he/she is sick.
They are convinced that their hallucinations, delusions, opinions, etc. are all true and correct and refused to accept that there is something wrong with them.
The onset and course of schizophrenia are divided into three stages:
It is the initial stage of the disease, and there are barely noticeable changes in the individual in the way he/she talks or behaves.
Some minor changes include poor performance at school, withdrawal from people, becoming more, etc.
This stage occurs between 15-25 in males and 25-35 in females.
This is the second stage in the course of schizophrenia.
The psychotic symptoms appear in this stage.
The symptoms that occur in this stage are known as ‘florid’ symptoms.
After the ‘florid’ symptoms of the acute stage subside, the recovery stage begins.
It often starts with the person slipping into depression when they start to comprehend the effect the disease has had on their lives.
After each active stage, the ability of the individual to function effectively reduces and so, it is essential to avoid relapses after successful treatment.
The exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown.
However, a combination of genetic, psychological, emotional and environmental factors play a role in increasing one’s risk of developing the disorder.
There are also a few triggers that can play a direct role in causing schizophrenia in people who are at risk. Two most common ones include:
The causes that trigger paranoid schizophrenia are the same as that for other types of the disorder.
Genetics, stress, drug abuse and familial history of the disease are possible to trigger factors for paranoid schizophrenia.
The two most common approaches to treat schizophrenia are anti-psychotic medications and different types of psychotherapies.
Different forms of psychotherapy are used and each has its ability to reduce or effectively eliminate the symptoms of the disorder.
These therapies include:
However, no single of these methods as mentioned above can effectively treat and cure schizophrenia.
A combination of medications, cognitive remediation, illness education, emotional support, and social skills training are the best treatment for schizophrenia.
Since schizophrenia is often diagnosed late, it tends to have a profound adverse effect on the patient and his/her life.
If left untreated, schizophrenia can cause emotional, physical and behavioral problems in the patient’s life.
Few complications of untreated schizophrenia include:
The two pillars of schizophrenia treatment are medications and therapy.
However, a minimal number of patients are able to live a normal life without antipsychotic medications.
The reason for this is that they well-functioning individuals and can cope better with the condition.
This also reduces the side-effects anti-psychotics can have on the individual due to their long-term use.
Many studies have been conducted to determine if mental health conditions run in families.
Some disorders and conditions like schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and depression do run in families, and if someone in your family suffers from any of these, the other members are at risk of developing the same.
Some of these are due to your genes. However, the chance of not developing a mental health condition is higher than the possibility of developing it.
Having said that mental health disorders run in families, the next logical question that comes to mind is will you develop one if you have no familial history.
The answer to this lies in the understanding of how one develops schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia develops as a result of genetic predisposition and environmental factors that affects a child’s mind either during pregnancy, birth or in early childhood.
Additional factors later on in life can further aggravate an already vulnerable or susceptible individual.
So, even if no one in the family has schizophrenia, one can develop it due to environmental and psychological causes later in life.
As mentioned above, no one is born with schizophrenia.
It is a condition that develops as a result of a combination of genetic, psychological, environmental and social factors.
Schizophrenia has a definite genetic component that predisposes one to an increased risk of developing the disease.
Having a relative or a family member with the genes can put one at an increased risk of developing the condition.
However, though some genes increased the likelihood of one developing the condition, no gene takes full responsibility for the pathology.
The genetic risks associated with schizophrenia are due to Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms(SNPs) and Copy Number Variants (CNVs).
Both of these act as risk factors but are not the only cause for one developing schizophrenia.
Many studies have been conducted to detect the genetic aspects of schizophrenia.
According to the researchers at UCL genetics institute, gene variations that prevent the neurotransmitter receptor N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) from functioning correctly cause schizophrenia.
NMDAR is a protein that carries information between the brain cells in response to the neurotransmitter glutamate.
There are three genes that code for this NMDAR- GRIN1, GRIN2A, and GRIN2B.
A fourth one FYN codes for a protein called Fyn that controls NMDAR functioning. Mutations in any of these genes are said to cause schizophrenia.
Vitamin B supplements have shown significant success in treating schizophrenia cases. The vitamin B types that are helpful include:
The benefits of using magnesium in treating various mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, is promising.
Magnesium supplements induce rapid recovery from depression, calm the nervous system, both of which are helpful in schizophrenic patients.
Magnesium can block the NMDA receptors that in turn inhibit the excitatory neurotransmission and help calm the nervous system.
Treatment for schizophrenia is multi-fold and diet and nutrition are a part of the paradigm.
They tend to improve the effectiveness of other treatments given and reduce the adverse effects of the medications.
Few things in the diet that can help cure schizophrenia include:
People with schizophrenia often have high levels of inflammatory chemicals in their body, but low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood.
The omega-3 fatty acid is commonly found in fatty fish and walnuts. Increase the intake of Omega-3 fatty acids will also be beneficial.
Note: Any recommendations that are mentioned should be carried out only after consultation with a qualified genetic counselor or medical practitioner.
Aerobic exercise therapy is very useful in treating patients with schizophrenia.
Regular aerobic exercises are said to increase the individual's ability to understand and function according to researchers at the University of Manchester.
Aerobic exercises like cycling, treadmills, etc. also improve the cognitive functioning in patients.
Yes. Schizophrenia can develop when a person who is susceptible to the disorder biologically is exposed to environmental factors such as high stress, drug or substance abuse, and alcohol abuse.
It is also triggered in teenagers and young adults when their bodies are undergoing hormonal and physical changes.
Drugs do not directly cause schizophrenia. But, misuse of drugs like cannabis, cocaine, marijuana, LSD, and amphetamines are known stressors to the mind and can trigger the disorder in high-risk individuals.
Men tend to develop schizophrenia at an earlier age than women.
While men develop the disease between 16-25 yrs of age, women tend to develop it after 30.
The average age of onset of the disease is 18 for men and 25 for women.
Schizophrenia makes it difficult for people to be loving, caring and form close personal bonds and maintain relationships.
These individuals tend to socially aloof and can appear distant and cold.
However, most people who develop schizophrenia were healthy when they got into relationships.
Even though the personality of individual changes due to the condition, relationships can survive when both partners get the right kind of support.
About 70% of schizophrenic patients experience hallucinations of various types – visual, auditory, tactile or olfactory.
Visual hallucinations include seeing things– people, events, objects, lights, etc., that are not present.
Perception gets altered and leaves the person with an inability to judge distances as well.
Auditory hallucinations include hearing voices; instructions sound like whispering or murmuring that are non-existent.
These voices can make the individual do some dangerous tasks that can cause injury or death.
Tactile Hallucinations include the feeling that they have been stabbed, wounded, hurt, or something is crawling up on or inside them, whereas in real life they are fine and safe.
Olfactory hallucinations include smelling things that are not existent.
Psychotic break means losing contact with reality, hearing, seeing feeling or smelling things that are non-existent, having hallucinations and delusions, unable to comprehend things happening around, having disorganized thoughts, all of which are seen in patients with mental disorders.
One cannot just burst into a ‘psychotic break’ and snap right out of it.
This is a complex, ongoing event that needs to be treated using combination therapy to cure the individual of the disorder altogether.
Alcohol and drug abuse are considered to be high-risk factors for developing mental disorders, including schizophrenia.
If a person suffering from schizophrenia drinks alcohol, his/her condition can deteriorate and can make the disease worse.
While no one is born with this condition, all patients before the disease sets in have average intelligence.
However, at the onset of disease, the different lobes of the brain like the frontal and temporal lobes become impaired or malfunction due to which most schizophrenic patients lose their cognitive abilities, their ability to reason, comprehend and organize their thoughts.
As a result of this, they tend to score low on IQ or other intelligence tests.
The answer to this question is based on the severity of the individual’s illness and symptoms.
A person with harmless hallucinations and delusions finds it more comfortable to join the workforce as compared to someone who has negative symptoms.
Cognitive deficit problems are also a hindrance for someone who wants to work.
However, schizophrenic patients who are under treatment and respond positively to it, find being functional helpful for their therapy.
Individuals with DID tend to have multiple personalities that come out at different times.
However, in schizophrenia, the patients have no multiple personalities.
The disorder is characterized by hallucinations and delusions where people see or hear things that are not real.
The rate of suicide attempts is higher in patients with DID than in patients with schizophrenia.
PTSD occurs in individuals after a traumatic or stressful event in life.
There is a symptom overlap between PTSD and schizophrenia.
Trauma increases one’s risk of both conditions, and patients with schizophrenia have a higher chance of developing PTSD.
Due to the symptom overall, there are quite a few times when a psychotic disorder is misdiagnosed as PTSD.
While anxiety falls under the neurosis category, schizophrenia is a type of psychosis.
The difference is that a person suffering from neurosis like anxiety disorder knows that he/she is suffering from the disease.
Whereas, in the case of psychosis like schizophrenia, the individual doesn't know that there is something wrong with them.
So, a person with an anxiety disorder can never develop schizophrenia.
No matter how worse or severe their anxiety gets, a person with the disorder must be reassured that he/she will not develop schizophrenia as a result of their disease.
There is no way one can prevent this disorder.
But, in patients being treated, it must be ensured that they follow the treatment and therapy being provided to them to prevent a relapse.
Learning more about the risk factors helps in preventing the condition from setting due to early intervention.
Like any other disease, schizophrenia doesn’t pick and choose its patients based on if one is famous or not.
You would be surprised to know that many famous, high-achieving people have the condition.
Some of them include John Forbes Nash Jr (A Nobel Laureate in Economics), Tom Harrel (A Jazz Musician), Dr. Jame’s Watson’s Son, Albert Einstein’s son, Syd Barrett from the band Pink Floyd, and Mary Todd Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln’s wife).
What is Multiple Sclerosis?
A long-term disease which attacks your Central Nervous System (CNS), affecting your brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves.
The potentially debilitating disease could cause permanent damage to the nervous system.
The symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) vary depending on the amount of nerve damage, and on the types of nerves affected.
While some individuals might lose their ability to walk, others might experience long periods of remission without any new symptoms.
Although there is no cure for MS, treatments can help speedy recovery from attacks. It could also help to modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms.
As per the American National Multiple Sclerosis Society, this disease affects women three times more than men.
While most of the symptoms of MS are common in the patients of both genders, some of them are especially seen in women.
Although MS usually affects individuals who are between 20-50 years of age, children and teens could also get affected.
About 2-5% of individuals affected with the disease develop symptoms before 18 years of age.
In most cases, MS patients can lead a normal life, but it is difficult to predict whether or not their condition will improve or deteriorate.
This is because the disease varies from one person to another.
However, MS isn't a fatal condition.
A recent study of about 2,300 patients with multiple sclerosis reported that SNPs from HLA regions, most notably rs4959039, shows an increased risk for multiple sclerosis regardless of HLA-DRB1*1501 status. (1)
Although Multiple sclerosis isn't generally the cause of death, it can be a severely disabling condition.
Their life expectancies get reduced due to complications from the disease or other related medical issues.
Even though there isn't a cure for MS yet, there are several new medications to treat it, reduce the number and severity of relapses and can also delay the long-term progression and complications of the condition.
Per the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2.3 million people across the world are affected by MS, the main population being the people in the age group of 20-50 years.
Although there are no laboratory tests to detect the condition, genetic testing can discover gene variants associated with the risk of the condition.
This could pave the way towards finding new ways to diagnose and treat the condition.
MS is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects your CNS.
Although the primary cause remains uncertain, it appears that its etiology is multifactorial including both genetic and environmental factors.
For example, exposure to stress has been suspected as a factor that could aggravate MS.
Based on a study (T. Riise et al.), there was no major role in stress for developing multiple sclerosis.
But stress could be a potential risk for multiple sclerosis.
Though MS could be hard to identify during the early stages, there is a blood test that promises a faster diagnosis and may also help to predict the efficiency of treatment.
This blood test is based on the theory that MS is an autoimmune disease.
They collect the immune cells of the patient, check if those cells get ready for an attack while exposed to neural antigens.
If that happens, there are good chances that the person has MS.
While there are no blood tests that specifically detects MS, there are ones that can help rule out other diseases or health conditions like Systemic Lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's, vitamin deficiencies and certain rare hereditary diseases.
Apparently, there is a genetic test that discovers genetic variants associated with predispositions of MS at a very early stage.
Such early detection of DNA risk variants might help the patients get more aware of the symptoms and find ways to treat the condition.
Studies have shown that the two genes DDX39B and IL7R are associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis.
They emphasize that their findings may also open the door to tests that can screen individuals with a family history of MS.
This early detection of DNA risk variants may help people to be more aware of MS symptoms.
Hand-Picked article for you:
Both MS and fibromyalgia might have symptoms such as headaches, joint pain, muscle aches, numbness, tingling sensation in the extremities, fatigue, memory problems.
Also, both these conditions are more common in women than in men.
However, in MS, MRI shows brain lesions, but in fibromyalgia, it doesn't show up.
In addition to all the physical disabilities and difficulties associated with the disease, MS also has profound emotional consequences.
Lack of enough knowledge about the disease could add anxiety to the sufferer, especially when they are newly diagnosed.
Apart from such emotional stress, demyelination and damages to the brain's nerve fibers can cause emotional changes.
However, medications like corticosteroids can significantly help control such emotions.
Apart from physical disabilities, MS patients also struggle with behavioral changes such as:
End-stage MS can progress to severity at which the patients typically lose their physical independence.
It can cause mobility loss and other life-altering symptoms, and such patients might require dedicated care such as access to palliative care services, to meet their needs.
In such cases, life expectancy also gets reduced up to 5-10 years.
The advanced symptoms include pain (in muscles, nerves & joints), tremors, sensory changes, spasms, stiffness and cramps in the muscles, bowel or bladder incontinence, UTIs, constipation, mobility limitations, chewing & swallowing difficulties, speech difficulties, emotional disturbances, and pressure sores.
End-stage MS might also trigger life-altering changes and worsen the quality of life which can lead to social isolation.
Although there's no fail-safe plan for eating right with MS, it is really important to follow a healthy diet. Including two liters of water and 30 grams of fiber daily along with other nutritional items, low fats, and refined sugar is what experts recommend.
Some specialists who suggest a more aggressive eating plan advice Swank diet (developed by Dr.Roy Swank)- one that is stringently low in fat, ban all dairy products, gluten, legumes, saturated fat from animal sources, and stresses on fish and fish oils.
While such plans get controversial, there is every good reason to eat a healthy diet and avoid things that are known to be bad for everyone.
Hand-Picked article for you: Have Your 23andMe Raw Data? Use It To Get 500+ Health-Realted Genetic Traits!
While consuming a nutritious diet is important, avoiding certain foods is equally important for MS patients.
Although avoiding these is usually recommended, MS patients should consult their doctors to check if they should remove the following from their diets:
MS Hug- It is a symptom of MS wherein the patients feel like a tight band has been tied around the chest or torso which results in a very painful experience.
The MS hug feels different from a person to another.
For some MS hug can manifest as a burning or tingling sensation, and for others, it may manifest as sharp pains.
It can be long or short lasting or in some cases, even be persistent all the time.
The duration of the hug and the level of pain and discomfort caused will affect how one chooses to manage their symptoms.
Heat, stress and fatigue and other such situations where your body might not be running at a 100% efficiency can trigger an MS Hug.
It is important for MS patients to discuss with their doctors about any triggers that they have noticed.
When MS patients stop taking their medications, they might experience a relapse of their symptoms.
Even patients with long periods of disease stability can relapse if they stop taking their medications.
Check the Xcode Life's Report Finder to help you find the right report
Currently, there is no cure for MS, but it is hoped that cutting-end technologies would find a cure soon.
Fortunately, there are several FDA approved drugs that can modify the course of the disease by limiting new areas of damage in the central nervous system, by reducing the relapses, and postponing the progression of disability.
There are also many technological advances and therapies that MS patients can use to manage their symptoms more effectively.
There's no evidence that MS can be transmitted from one person to another.
Thus, the disease is not considered contagious and cannot be caught from a person with it by coming into contact.
While many researchers opine that it is not hereditary either, individuals with an affected first-degree relative might be at risk for developing the disease.
New research suggests that individuals who have inherited a genetic mutation on gene NR1H3 might be more prone to it.
Though MS isn't an inherited disease, there are genetic risks that may be inherited.
The risk of developing the disease is 1 in 750-1000.
If one among a pair of inherited twins is affected with MS, 1/4 cases, the other twin also develop the disease.
Among first-degree relatives of MS patients, the risk if high, but not as high as that of identical twins.
Around 200 genes have been identified to contribute to the overall risk of developing the disease.
A Study led by Malgorzata et al. provides evidence to support that MS can be hereditary. The study looked at 30 first-degree relatives of people with MS, and the results confirmed that relatives of people with MS have a higher risk of developing brain damage. And it is unknown if such brain changes might develop into the disease.
Research studies have proven that first degree relatives of MS patients might be at risk of developing the disease.
Among patients diagnosed with MS, some might have Familial MS- a condition when at least two other family members are diagnosed with the condition.
Family members of MS patients might share some of the same genes, inferring that there is a higher risk of developing MS if it runs in the family.
However, it cannot be said with certainty that the particular combination of disease-causing gene variants gets passed between generations.
There are many MS patients who do not have any family history related to the condition.
Numerous factors can be responsible to increase the risk of developing MS.
Mutations in the HLA-DRB1 gene are the strongest genetic risk factors for developing MS.
Also, mutations in the IL7R gene (Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex especially HLA-DRB1*15:01 - the strongly linked genetic factor can cause MS.
Since HLA-DRB1 and IL-7R genes are both involved in the immune system, changes in either of them might be related to autoimmune responses that can damage your myelin sheaths and nerve cells and lead to MS.
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase is an enzyme whose deficiency leads to impairments in folate metabolism and is thus implicated as risk factors for neural tube defects.
C677T and A1298C MTHFR mutations are said to be linked to neural tube defects.
MTHFR mutations also affect vitamin B12 and homocysteine metabolism.
When your MTHFR gene enzyme is defective, nutrients like folic acid, vitamin B12, etc.- whether acquired via food sources or from supplements, cannot be properly utilized.
Since you need the enzyme to make your body utilize these nutrients, defective enzyme makes it impossible.
Although there is no way to treat the defective gene, it can at least be prevented or partly managed by using active B vitamins.
These supplements skip over the MTHFR enzyme, allows your body to be nourished regardless of the defective enzyme's function. Using such supplements can help manage MS.
The deficiency of Vitamin D is associated with an increased risk for MS, mutations in VDR (Vitamin D receptor) gene might contain genomic regulatory elements relevant to the pathogenesis of MS.
Also, when the genotype and haplotype frequencies for polymorphisms in this gene were analyzed, it was found that the VDR T-allele and the Bft haplotype could increase MS susceptibility and can also influence its clinical manifestations.
It has been reported that elevated plasma homocysteine and reduced folate and Vitamin B levels can result in MS.
Homocysteine (Hcy), folic acid (FA) and vitamin B (Vit B) have key components of One carbon metabolic pathway (OCMP) and the genetic factors of OCMP play a major role in the development of MS.
(OCMP is a part of cellular metabolism which is comprised of folate and methionine cycles and supports the critical function of the synthesis of thymidylate, purines, and methyltransferase reactions)
Note: Any recommendations that are mentioned should be carried out only after consultation with a qualified genetic counselor or medical practitioner.
MS and other disorders like autism, ADHD, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disease, heart diseases, neural tube defects, and miscarriages have been linked to mutations in the MTHFR gene.
These mutations might lead to a condition called homocystinuria which is a disorder in which abnormal levels of homocysteine and methionine in the body might lead to cognitive issues, eye problems, abnormal clotting, and congenital heart abnormalities.
While movement disorders except for tremors such as parkinsonism are seen less frequently in MS cases, investigations have shown that MS contains inflammatory and autoimmune aspects of Parkinson's disease (PD).
Although there is no clarity if the relationship between MS and PD is casual or not.
There is a probability that MS plaques can affect the basal ganglia or such structure which play a vital role in the nigrostriatal pathway that leads to dysfunction of the extrapyramidal pathway to cause Parkinson's disease.
Check for genetic variants associated with multiple sclerosis in Xcode Life's Gene Health Report
Lactose intolerance, aka lactase deficiency, the most common digestive problem, is a person’s ability to digest a natural sugar ‘lactose.’ Lactose sugar is broken down by an enzyme, lactase, that is produced in the small intestine. When there is a deficiency in this enzyme, the undigested lactose moves into the large intestine, and the bacteria present there interacts with the unprocessed lactose sugar and causes bloating, gas, and diarrhea.
WATCH: The Genetics Behind Lactose Intolerance
There are four types of lactose intolerance with a different cause for each class.
The most common form that makes one’s body to prevent secreting lactase enzyme by about age 5 (as early as two years old in the case of African-Americans).
Since lactase levels decrease, dairy products get challenging to break down.
Individuals with primary lactose intolerance secrete decidedly fewer amounts of lactase enzyme, and that makes it hard for them to digest dairy products by the time they turn adults.
This type is genetic and is common among Africans, Asians, Hispanics, Mediterranean and southern Europeans and less common among north or western Europeans.
It occurs due to any illness or injuries or post surgeries.
Any such conditions might affect your small intestine and lead to a reduction in lactase secretion.
Celiac disease and Crohn’s disease are the two most common intestinal diseases linked to low lactase secretion.
It occurs in premature babies. It usually lasts only for a short duration after birth and goes away on its own.
A rare type that happens when there is no lactase or a minimal amount of the enzyme produced by the small intestine right from birth.
It is a genetic disorder, and both parents have to pass the condition to their children.
Typical lactose tolerance symptoms include the following, and are exhibited about 30 minutes to two hours after having any milk-based food item:
However, if you experience symptoms such as hives or wheezing immediately after having milk, it is probably a milk allergy that you are suffering and not lactose intolerance.
To manage your symptoms, you may need to reduce the amount of lactose consumption. Most people with lactose intolerance can have some lactose without getting symptoms.
Lactose intolerance symptoms begin about 30 minutes to 2 hours after consuming lactose-containing foods.
The symptoms persist until your body manages to eliminate the lactose fully.
For some individuals, it could be about 12 hours while for others it could be much longer.
Your body will have to force the undigested dairy substance through your system and in that process, you might experience pain and discomfort.
Digestive system transit time (the time is taken to digest and eliminate any substance) can be tracked by using enough activated charcoal capsules appropriate for your weight.
The diet recommendation for lactose intolerance depends on the severity of the condition.
People with a mild case can have up to 12 grams of lactose without experiencing symptoms or maybe a few mild symptoms.
Consuming lactase products along with these can aid the digestion of lactose.
If your symptoms are severe, it is better to completely refrain from lactose-containing foods like:
Read the label carefully to see if there is any dairy or lactose-present items on the ingredient list (Whey, Curd or Yogurt, Dry milk solids, milk powder).
Handpicked article for you: Worrier Or Warrior? Analyze Your DNA Raw Data For COMT – The Warrior Gene
The primary test that your physician may ask you to take up is abstaining from dairy products and check to see if the symptoms subside.
Your stool samples can also help in making the diagnosis- a watery, loose, or foamy stool can indicate that you are lactose intolerant.
However, to confirm the diagnosis, the following tests are mostly used:
Yes, you can do this simple test for lactose intolerance at home:
Studying the mutations- C/T-13910 and G/A-22018 located upstream the gene that codes for the enzyme lactase-phlorizin hydrolase can be a useful tool to diagnose hypolactasia (The condition causing Lactose malabsorption).
Primary lactase deficiency, which is the most common cause of lactose intolerance throughout the world, is caused by an inherited genetic fault running in families.
Congenital lactase deficiency or congenital alactasia is the disorder where infants suffer from not being able to digest the lactose present in breast milk or formula, causing diarrhea.
Such infants might even develop dehydration and weight loss if they do not switch to lactose-free infant formula.
Congenital lactase deficiency in infants is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern (Both copies of the LCT gene in each cell is mutated).
The parents being individuals with the autosomal recessive condition, each carry one copy of the mutated gene, and may not experience any symptoms. However, when they both pass on the defective genes (25% chances), the infant could, as a result, be intolerant to lactose.
The type of variations in the regulatory element in the MCM6 gene inherited from one’s parents decides the ability to digest lactose in adulthood.
One copy of the altered regulatory element is enough to sustain lactase production.
Individuals who haven’t inherited such variations from either parent will have a certain degree of lactose intolerance.
Hand-Picked article for you: Have Your 23andMe Raw Data? Use It To Get 500+ Health-Related Genetic Traits!
Some cheese like cheddar and parmesan, probiotic yogurts, heavy creams have low lactose levels and can be added to your diet in minimal amounts.
When you are digesting other foods simultaneously, gastric emptying can get slower, and lactose, which makes up just a small proportion of the total food may not create many problems.
The bacteria present in yogurt and kefir can produce a lactase-like enzyme which can make your food to digest even though it contains lactose.
Lactase supplements allow the breakdown lactose into glucose and galactose so that your body can absorb the sugars without experiencing symptoms
Except for sporadic cases, every infant can produce lactase enzymes which helps the small intestine digest the lactose sugar.
But with age, one’s lactase levels can start to decline, and it can prevent the lactose you eat from going to your colon without being digested.
The bacteria there might break down the sugar and cause flatulence and fluid in that process.
It is quite common for people to develop lactase deficiency in adulthood.
Per the NIH report, about 65% of the global population has a lowered ability to digest lactose after infancy.
The genetic factors can be equally responsible for lactose intolerance.
Your body tends to secrete the enzyme lactase only when instructed to do so by the gene LCT which can get less active over time and result in lactose intolerance.
The condition which can begin as soon as a person turns two years old, may not manifest itself until a person reaches adolescence or adulthood.
The ideal diet for the lactose intolerance emphasizes on the foods to avoid more than about what to eat.
Needless to say, it is essential to avoid or reduce the amount of lactose-containing foods.
But, it is also important to read food labels to exclude canned, boxed, frozen, and prepared foods like bread, lunch meats, salad dressings, cake, cookie or pancake mixes, coffee creamers, etc., that contain lactose ingredients (like cream, cheese, butter, milk, milk solids, dried milk, whey, etc).
Excluding dairy from your diet can make you more prone to vitamin D and calcium deficiency.
Some calcium-rich, dairy-free foods include:
Vitamin D and calcium supplements can also be consumed upon your physician's advice.
Dietary fats are important for energy and for cellular growth, however, the type of fat consumed is key.
One of the popular ‘dietary advice’ is that saturated oils are bad for health and that they should be substituted instead by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).
However, this may not be true for everyone.
Every once in a while, there comes a new study that purports to debunk long-held beliefs, such as the one above.
How we respond to sunflower oil in our diet may depend on the genetic variants we carry.
Does that mean sunflower oil may be bad oil for some?
More about sunflower oil
Sunflower oil is made from sunflower seeds and has has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol and constipation.
Its benefits have, however, been more as a massage oil for helping the skin heal wounds, for psoriasis and for arthritis.
The current scientific study by The University of Finland focuses on the effect of using sunflower oil as cooking oil, stratifying the effects based on FADS1 gene variants.
FADS1 gene
FADS1 gene is associated with fatty acid metabolism and also in glucose metabolism.
The diet of an individual plays an important role in the concentration of the various fatty acids in the body.
Linoleic acid is the most common polyunsaturated fatty acid is found in plant-based oils, nuts, and seeds.
You may have come across studies that have shown how a high intake of linoleic acid helped in lowering risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes while another study may have pointed out its association with risk of low-grade inflammation.
This study helps shed new light by stating that these contradictions may be due to genetic differences.
This study opted for a unique yet preferable research setting, where the study participants were stratified based on their genotypes i.e based on their FADS1 gene variant.
This was done to find out if there was an association between FADS1 gene variant and the effect of linoleic acid on fasting glucose, on serum fatty acid composition, on C- reactive protein (CRP- a biomarker for inflammation) and insulin levels.
1,300 middle-aged men were included in the study that studied the metabolic effects, while 60 participants were included in the study on the effect of a diet based on genotype.
The participants consumed 30-50 ml of sunflower oil (linoleic acid) every day for four weeks.
The study found that the effects of linoleic acid were significantly associated with FADS1 gene variant.
This would mean that your genetic variant could determine if the linoleic acid supplement could effectively lower your fasting glucose levels and if increased intake of linoleic acid would increase or decrease your CRP levels.
Hand-Picked article for you: Have Your 23andMe Raw Data? Use It To Get 500+ Health-Realted Genetic Traits!
Knockdown mice study
One of the ways scientists determine the effect of a gene on health is to reduce the expression of the gene from mice and then study the effect that it causes.
Mice which had the FADS1 gene expression reduced were given a diet rich in linoleic acid and they showed better glucose metabolism but they also exhibited hepatic inflammation.
This confirms the results of the sunflower oil study.
What does all this mean to you?
If you have the CC genotype, a high intake of sunflower oil may lower fasting glucose levels.
However, there is an association with higher CRP (biomarker or inflammation) on high sunflower oil intake, which could mean that you run the risk of low-grade inflammation.
Low-grade inflammation is an important factor in progression to chronic diseases. Therefore, limiting sunflower oil may be better, based on this study.
If you have the TT genotype, a high intake of sunflower oil is not associated with a risk of inflammation.
Therefore, based on this study, you could switch to sunflower oil or continue to include it in your diet, if you are already doing so!
However, please note that Omega 6 which is predominantly found in vegetable and seed oils needs to be balanced with Omega 3 intake, with an optimal ratio between omega 3: omega 6 being around 1:2.
If you have the CT genotype, a high intake of sunflower oil is not associated with a risk of inflammation.
Therefore, based on this study, you could switch to sunflower oil or continue to include it in your diet, if you are already doing so!
However, please note that Omega 6 which is predominantly found in vegetable and seed oils needs to be balanced with Omega 3 intake, with an optimal ratio between omega 3: omega 6 being around 1:2.
Wondering if sunflower oil (PUFA) could increase your risk of weight gain?
Find out from Xcode Life nutrition genetics report, which analyses your genetic variants for response to macronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, saturated fats, MUFA and PUFA in the perspective of weight gain.
There are more than 30 traits covered in the report including gluten sensitivity, a risk for alcohol flush, food preference and more.
If you find yourself lying awake in bed at night unable to sleep and the usual fixes like counting sheep or downing a warm glass of milk don’t seem to help, don’t take it lightly—it could be insomnia.
A 23andMe sleep study analyzed the genetics associated with sleeplessness and found that insomnia shares more genetic similarities with mental illness than with other sleep disorders.
This is not the first time that these scientists have shared such insights on sleep.
Another important determinant of a good night’s sleep- deep sleep, 23andme scientists revealed, also shares a strong genetic basis.
However, this is the first time a sleep trait has been linked to mental illness, making it imperative to find out more about your insomnia genetics.
Do you feel tired all day and alert all night? Is your sleeplessness less to do with monsters in the dark and more to do with underlying health conditions?
Not getting a good night’s sleep may sound trivial, but it has more serious and further reaching consequences than just a lethargic morning and a cranky, coffee-fuelled workday.
Insomnia has been linked to metabolic syndrome and can make sufferers more vulnerable to becoming overweight and developing diabetes and heart disease.
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder and is considered the second-most common mental disorder.
About 30 percent of adults report short term insomnia at some point in their lives, while about 10 percent report suffers from chronic insomnia.
In a study involving over 1.3 million test subjects who volunteered their DNA samples, researchers found that no single gene contributed to this disorder, but that it was complex combination of effects from multiple genes that predisposed a person to develop insomnia.
Researchers from the Netherlands and Amsterdam collaborated with scientists from genetic testing company 23andMe to narrow down 202 gene markers involved in insomnia.
They were also able to identify the specific type of brain cells and tissues involved in striatal medium spiny neurons, hypothalamic neurons, and claustrum pyramidal neurons.
Some of which have been linked to reward processing, sleep, and arousal in animals, but have never before been genetically linked to insomnia in humans.
Hand-Picked article for you: Have Your 23andMe Raw Data? Use It To Get 500+ Health-Realted Genetic Traits!
The most interesting finding in this study, however, was the large genetic similarity between insomnia and psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, major depressive disorder, and neuroticism.
Despite being inherently a sleep disorder, insomnia had very little genetic material in common with other sleep traits like daytime dozing, snoring, excessive napping and ‘morningness’, the trait that makes some lucky individuals perky and chirpy early in the morning.
This discovery may help researchers understand the mechanism of insomnia better and help sleep specialists devise new methods and medications to treat the disorder, possibly helping patients stave off the more serious health issues that develop due to insomnia.
Moreover, understanding your risk of insomnia will help in being self- aware and to find solutions, thereby, lowering the risk of associated conditions.
The 23andme deep sleep report discusses the variant of the deep sleep gene you have, helping you understand your sleep better.
Xcode life sleep report has over 10 traits associated with sleep including insomnia, sleep quality, sleep duration and more.
Are you a “night owl”- wide awake and active till way past midnight, but somehow still manage to wake up early to get to work? Or are you that person who is early to bed but late to rise, because your body needs at least 10 hours of sleep to function the next day? Well, either way, you may find some clues from your genes.
Scientists have identified 76 new gene variants that are associated with the amount of sleep you get, throwing new light on the mechanisms of the sleep-wake control centers of the brain.
This study conducted by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the University of Exeter Medical School is the largest of its kind, including more than 446,000 participants in the U.K. who self-reported the amount of sleep they typically received. As a result, they found that genes are responsible for 10-40% variation in an individual’s sleep duration.
While 7-8 hours of sleep per night is considered optimum, 6 hours or less is considered too little sleep and more than 9 hours, too much.
It is known that too much and too little sleep are harmful and can lead to chronic diseases.
This study also found genetic links associated with poor sleep patterns and conditions like depression, higher levels of body fat and fewer years of schooling!
In order to probe these associations further, scientists conducted separate gene association studies on groups of people who reported lower than average sleep hours and longer sleep duration.
There were some interesting findings-- short sleep duration was genetically associated with traits like insomnia and smoking, while longer sleep duration was associated with schizophrenia, type-2 diabetes, and coronary artery disease.
Not relying on data from questionnaires alone, participants in the study were asked to wear accelerometers (motion-detecting devices like Fitbit) for up to a week before undergoing genetic testing for the 78 sleep-duration associated gene variants.
Investigators were able to objectively associate these genetic regions with not just the number of hours of sleep that the individual got, but also sleep quality, instances of waking up in the night and daytime inactivity.
Interestingly, the gene regions associated with sleep duration were different from those associated with insomnia or sleep chronotype, identified in previous studies.
This study helps in understanding each person’s natural optimal sleep duration for a refreshing sleep.
Also Read: Have Your 23andMe Raw Data? Use It To Get 500+ Health-Realted Genetic Traits!
Depression is a complex mood disorder that affects both physical and mental health, considerably reducing an individual’s ability to function in their daily life. Depression has also been strongly linked with suicides. Suicidal deaths and self-harming behavior can be avoided if depression is identified at an early stage.
The answer to this lies somewhat in your genes. Some variants in your genes increase the risk of developing depression that slowly tends to have some negative impact on the overall mood, irrespective of being diagnosed with depression or not.
At Xcode Life, we focus on identifying genetic factors and give you science-based recommendations to help reduce the influence that these factors have on your mood.
Now that we know what depression is, the next thing you will be curious to know is whether it is a treatable condition after diagnosis.
The answer is yes!
Depression is a treatable condition. There are various methods of treating depression. The most widely used ones are psychotherapy and antidepressant medications. If you find yourself experiencing any of the depression symptoms, you should immediately seek assistance from a medical professional.
A medical psychiatrist can provide both psychotherapy services and prescribe antidepressants, which differ for each person, based on individual needs.
Talk about it! Talking to a counselor or a medical professional is the first step to living a happier, more fulfilling life.
However, when therapy and medications don’t seem to be working, the other two options your doctor may suggest are:
ECT is based on the principle of stimulating the brain using electrical pulses to trigger an epileptic seizure and reduce the symptoms of mental disorder.
rTMS, on the other hand, is used to study the relationship between the brain and behavior of an individual with the disorder. It uses a special kind of magnet to excite certain areas of the brain for activity. This helps the parts of your brain that control your mood work better.
Hand-Picked article for you: Have Your 23andMe Raw Data? Use It To Get 500+ Health-Realted Genetic Traits!
When left untreated, depression can have severe consequences. It increases the chance of risky behavior with potentially dangerous consequences such as drug or alcohol addiction.
It could cause problems at the work-place, and make it difficult to overcome this severe illness.
Suicidal tendency is another symptom of depression, which becomes stronger when depression is left untreated.
People with depression are more likely to have heart problems, inflammatory conditions, or autoimmune disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diabetes, arthritis, and cancers.
The Xcode Life Gene Health report does not help with the treatment directly but provides you with insights on how to hack your genes to understand a little more about how depression affects your body.
You can upload your DNA raw data from 23andMe, Ancestry DNA, Family Tree DNA, etc. to get information about the genetic variants of depression that you carry.
Depression is of different types. Several other disorders and conditions also have depression as one of their symptoms. Some commonly occurring depression types are:
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an estimated 16.1 million American adults have suffered from a major depressive episode at least once. Multiple factors lead to an increase in one’s likelihood of developing depression.
Some prescribed medications have been directly linked to depression. For example, few medicines used for the treatment of blood pressure, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, seizures, birth control pills, and some pain killers are said to lead to depression.
Even drugs used in the treatment of insomnia and anxiety lead to depression.
If you are taking any of these medications and are concerned, please talk to your doctor.
Studies have shown that depression can deteriorate over a period of time, with some people experiencing it only once in their lifetime.
Hence, it is better to visit your therapist or physician for a checkup after your treatment is completed.
When the possibility of a relapse is high, it is advisable to follow a proper diet, avoid stress, to exercise and practise yoga regularly, sleep well, avoid alcohol an drug consumption, and continue talk therapy to avoid setting in of depressive thoughts.
Many genes influence depression. Some of these include genes involved in the creation of neurotransmitters, such as:
The exact cause of depression is unknown. However, it has a strong genetic component.
An individual's genetic makeup can only indicate that one is potentially more susceptible to developing depression, but does not necessarily mean that one will.
First-degree relatives of people with major depression, including parents, siblings, and children, have been found to have a 2-3 times higher prevalence of developing major depression than their counterparts.
Twin studies, which look at how frequently pairs of twins have the same trait, also provides evidence of a genetic link. Pairs of non-identical twins were found to have a major depression rate of 20%.
However, with pairs of identical twins (who share the same genetic material), the rate rose to about 50%.
Yet, so far, no genetic studies have identified what these specific genes for major depression are.
Anxiety disorders affect women twice as frequently as they do men. Studies have shown that people with depression often experience symptoms of an anxiety disorder and, if left untreated, can cause unnecessary suffering and impairment for both the individual and his/her family.
There have been studies that show that autism and depression occur together with a higher probability in older children with an autism spectrum disorder.
Stress creates alertness, provides motivation, and primes you to danger response. So, stress is good for you. However, too much stress or chronic stress can lead to major depressive disorders in susceptible individuals.
Chronic stress leads to elevated levels of stress hormone (cortisol) and reduced levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain, causing depression. When the stress response fails, it can lead to depression in susceptible people.
As humans, we are made to experience a rainbow of emotions. Sometimes feeling sad is an integral part of life. It is when it stretches to extended periods that it becomes a problem.
Though there are no proven diet recommendations that help relieve depression or prevent relapse, there are a few meal plans that can be used to train your brain to feel better and happier.
May foods contain antioxidants. They prevent body cells from oxidative stress caused by free radicals.
The human body forms these free radicals that cause cell damage and other complications, and are risky for the brain too.
These free radicals cause chronic diseases, including heart disease and certain types of cancers.
So, an antioxidant-rich diet rich helps reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases.
The antioxidants scavenge the free radicals from the body cells and prevent or reduce the damage caused by them.
Carbohydrates are linked to the mood-boosting brain chemical called serotonin. There is no proven evidence, but carbohydrate cravings sometimes may be related to low serotonin activity.
There is also an association between eating high-carb, high-fat, and high-sugar foods and a good mood. These foods alter the neurotransmitters' behavior in the brain and signal the nervous system activity to calm you down.
Hence, it is important to choose your carbohydrates wisely.
You must limit your consumption for sugary foods and opt for complex carbohydrates like whole grains rather than simple carbohydrates like cakes and cookies.
Fruits, vegetables, and legumes also have healthy carbohydrates and fiber content.
Food products rich in proteins help increase the alertness of the mind. Turkey, tuna, and chicken have an amino acid called tryptophan that helps make serotonin.
So, try to eat something with protein several times a day, when you need to boost your energy.
Studies have shown that blackcurrant juice has an impact on alertness, mood, and brain activity in young adults.
Also, coffee or caffeine consumption is not harmful if consumed at levels of 200 mg in one cup of coffee or 400 mg daily.
It causes many positive actions in the brain. It increases alertness, helps in concentration, and limits depressive feelings.
Lifelong caffeine consumption has been associated with the prevention of cognitive decline and reduced risk of developing stroke, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.
Following are some food suggestions that can help increase alertness:
There are a few mood-boosting products that you must include in your next grocery list to keep any signs of low mood or depression away:
Dark Chocolate is one of the best comfort foods, and most people would vouch for it. The taste of chocolate produces a near euphoric state in many people. It is also full of protein and fiber and supports a positive mood and healthy cognition.
Herbal teas like chamomile, black, green, white and rooibos teas have a calming effect & are also rich in antioxidants. So, drinking a cup of warm tea helps relieve stress.
Oats are active mood boosters as they release energy slowly into the bloodstream that keeps blood sugar levels and mood stable. Oats also contain the mood-boosting mineral selenium.
Water is essential for our body. Dehydration can severely affect our ability to concentrate.
Vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin. It increases the production of the neurotransmitters that are associated with mood, like serotonin. Research has also shown that taking vitamin D supplements helps maintain a positive mental state.
Other studies have found a relationship between low levels of vitamin D, depression, and Seasonal Affective Disorder.
During cold months, most of us tend to stay indoors. And our skin is unable to produce the required natural vitamin D as it does in warmer seasons.
Many people may experience subtle changes in the mood but may not realize it women are four times more likely to experience sadness or depressed moods seasonally.
While we now know what to eat to keep our mood and spirits high, we must also know which foods are associated with mood problems. Certain foods trigger bad moods and should therefore be avoided. These foods include alcohol, sugar, bread, pasta, potatoes, and white rice.
When you are going through a tough time, it is normal to feel down for a while. However, if you are feeling sad or miserable most of the time and over a long period, you may be suffering from depression.
Take this self-test that can help you figure out whether you are showing any of the warning signs of depression. This won’t give you a diagnosis, but it will help you decide your next step.
Click here to take the depression Self-Examination Questionnaire.
Recovering from depression is not easy, and the recovery period for each individual differs (from a few weeks or months). For about 20% of people who have depression, the symptoms do not entirely fade away.
Depression forces the body and brain into a death-trap of sorts. The stages of how depression affects the brain have also been compared to severe forms of trauma that are difficult to recover from.
Usually, the brain releases high levels of dopamine during stressful situations. This usually helps the person get back to normal.
When extreme depression hits the part of the brain which controls emotions and motivation, dopamine production goes for a toss, making it hard for the body to process negativity.
When the brain is pushed into extreme negativity, it declines its functioning power.
The answer is yes. During a period of severe depression, your personality does get affected. The way we see the world and the ability to empathize with others diminishes, and you have less energy, so your social activities change, and you’re likely to want to get away from people.
Some people experience personality changes in response to stress hormones, which are part of their internal environment.
Some personality changes in stressed people include: irritability, hostility, frustration, anger, aggressive feelings, and behaviour, decreased interest in their appearance, decreased concern with punctuality, obsessive/compulsive behavior, reduced efficiency or productivity at work, making excuses to cover up poor work, excessive defensiveness or suspiciousness, problems in communication, social withdrawal and isolation, impulsivity.
Upload it to Xcode Life for insights into 700+ health-related traits!
Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that are characterized by language, communication, social, and behavioral problems. The severity of these problems varies in different individuals and primarily consists of three separate conditions:
According to a report released in 2012, ASD is quite common and affects 1 in every 54 boys and 1 in every 68 children. ASD is 4-5 times more common in boys than in girls and affects all races and ethnicity. Studies so far have not established the etiology of ASD. However, it is suggested that ASD could be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Handpicked content for you: Zinc intake: A Maternal Genetic Risk Factor For Autism
Before we reach genetic testing for ASD, we must understand what the early signs and symptoms that often prompt parents to take their child for a genetic test to confirm ASD is. The early signs of ASD or its constituent conditions are often mild and vary from person to person.
One of the first signs that appear is in infants.
Generally, infants are very playful, enthusiastic, full of energy, and very curious about what is happening around them. However, a child with ASD would not be that curious about surrounding occurrences.
Few early symptoms seen in infants and children include minimal reactions, slow development of language and communication, the slow movement of eyes, lack of responsiveness, lack of interest in communication, excessive temper and tantrums, obsessive habits, and repetitive actions, etc. Whenever a child is taken to the pediatrician for routine checkups, they check for different signs to detect any form of ASD.
In case parents doubt their child, they can request to be referred to a genetic counselor or ask the specialist to perform certain preliminary and genetic tests to confirm the same. It has been said time and again that ASD has strong genetic roots, but nothing has been conclusively ever proved. But, since the genetic link of ASD has not been disproved, it is being used in a large number of patients to detect ASD and its associated conditions.
You may also be interested in: Best DNA Raw Data Analysis Tools.
When talking about genetic testing for ASD, we must first understand that the causes of ASD are heterogeneous, which means that the roots are multifactorial. One of the many links is genetics. A large scale study claimed that there were about 18 genetic variations that may be associated with an increased risk of developing the disorder.
An ongoing MSSNG project has so far identified 61 genetic variations that affect the risk of ASD. With each study coming up with various novel genetic variations, the statement of ASD encompassing a wide 'spectrum' of conditions holds true.
Even though the genetic testing for ASD continues, the results we have obtained so far helps divide autism and ASD into different categories, leading to each condition and disorder being diagnosed and managed differently.
Once all these findings are integrated into a more organized format, each patient will be able to receive personalized diagnosis and treatment based on the variations seen in him/her.
You might also like: Children And ADHD: Genetic influence.
Some studies done using Google's Life Sciences Division revealed that there were some other causes, apart from genetic mutations, that were responsible or may be associated with ASD and autism. These include chromosomal abnormalities and gene deletions. It is also relieving to know that scientists are confident to devise medications against 80% of these 61 genetic mutations.
Some genetic mutations coexisted with other comorbidities and conditions like seizures and diabetes. It is also interesting to note that these genetic variations always occur along with other connected genetic mutations and not in isolation.
So, what is the purpose of genetic testing for ASD? It must be made clear that genetic testing does not diagnose autism in an individual. These tests only help in identifying any genetic or chromosomal changes.
Also, there is no single test that can point out an increased risk of ASD. So then, why should one advise a genetic test for ASD?
Genetic testing for Autism Spectrum Disorder is commonly done in two tiers.
Tier I includes:
Tier II tests include molecular testing. A genetic test for ASD children can help parents determine what type of treatments their child can benefit from and, more importantly, throw some light on why a child developed ASD in the first place.
The chromosome micro-array analysis and Fragile X syndrome tests are done more commonly to detect ASD. There are, however, some myths around genetic testing for ASD and autism.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a huge umbrella under which multiple conditions manifest various symptoms. We also know that these occur due to many genetic variations in various genes that result in ASD and autism. The disorder spectrum is still under research, and we can only hope that shortly genetic testing for ASD becomes more conclusive and leads to better prognosis and quality of life for the children.
Find out which genetic variants of autism spectrum you or your child have in Xcode Life's Gene Health report.
