The monumental accomplishment of the Human Genome Project, with its decoding of nearly 40,000 genes in the human body, has opened up an entirely new spectrum of knowledge, one offering a tremendous potential for improving our health and well-being.
Virtually all of the most pervasive, disabling, and deadly degenerative diseases of our time, including heart disease, adult-onset diabetes, cancer, and senile dementia, are believed to develop from an ongoing interaction between genetic and environmental factors.
By looking for genetic variations patients are provided with a previously unseen "glimpse" into their potential health future. Genetic testing provides the foundation for more effective, timely, and customized preventive strategies based on each patient’s unique genetic predisposition. This provides all health-conscious patients with the expanded insight they need to adopt more effective and focused risk-minimizing strategies to improve and protect their health.
Armed with this new clinical insight, Signature Wellness physicians can gain a deeper understanding of the interactive disease process, to intervene more quickly, confidently, and effectively.
This testing allows Signature Wellness physicians to:
Identify "hidden" gene mutations that may promote chronic disease
Gain earlier advanced warning of disease susceptibility in each patient
Determine cumulative risk associated with specific, easily identified mutations
Intervene much earlier in the pre-disease state
Modify gene expression through more precise, targeted, individualized interventions
Identify key target areas on which to focus follow-up
Monitor therapeutic effectiveness of intervention strategies with laboratory testing
What are genes?
Genes are Nature’s blueprint for "building" life. Genes are present in almost every one of the 100 trillion cells in your body. In all, your body contains about 30,000-40,000 genes.
At birth you inherit two set of genes—one set from each of your parents. Each gene contains a set of coded instructions that "explain" to your body how it will develop and function. Your height, your eye color, your voice, your hair texture—even certain elements of your "personality"—are strongly influenced by your genes.
How do genes affect my health?
Genes are like "recipes" that your body depends on to produce messengers.They affect the make-up and function of all your cells, tissues, and organs. They build bones, skin, and hair. They help break down food into the energy your body needs. They help your immune system fend off harmful "foreign invaders" like bacteria, yeast, and viruses. And they are essential for processing and eliminating harmful toxins.
More than 99% of the human DNA sequence is the same in all humans. Yet the relatively small amount of DNA that differs from person to person is very important. A gene sequence that varies from the usual pattern can alter the normal shape and function of messengers. This can change the way the body functions. It can also make us more susceptible to some diseases and more resistant to others.
Just because we have a genetic variation that makes us susceptible to a certain disease, say heart disease for example, does not mean that we will necessarily develop heart disease. That’s because our genes are fluid and flexible in how they "express" themselves.
In almost all cases, a gene’s ability to promote disease depends heavily on its being switched "on" or "off" by other factors in its environment. These factors can be things like cigarette smoke or air pollution, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, sun exposure, bacterial infection, chronic nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalances, lifestyle habits, or toxic exposure. In other words, the vast majority of genetic polymorphisms only have the potential to cause health problems, if exposed to the wrong "mix" of harmful agents over time.
This is particularly true for the most common and disabling chronic diseases that develop as we age, such as heart disease or osteoporosis. These conditions are not caused by genes alone. Instead, they develop when many potentially harmful factors—both genetic and environmental—interact over a long period of time.
Only by considering all of these factors together—Nature and Nurture—can a person accurately estimate his or her unique health risks and take the right steps to help prevent chronic disease from developing.
What does this test measure?
This test measures selected segments of the genetic code that differ from individual to individual. These are called single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs "snips" for short.
Everyone has SNPs—that’s what makes us different from one another. Some SNPs are quite common and others are quite rare. Many SNPs have no effect on our health, but others can predispose us to disease or influence our response to a food or drug.
Even SNPs good for health in one situation may be harmful in another. For example, the same SNP that enables a person to better survive on a very limited food intake in situations of starvation, may cause that person to be more prone to obesity and cholesterol build-up in the blood after eating fatty foods.
The SNPs in these tests are carefully selected. Your test will not measure any SNPs that will absolutely lead to disease. Your test will evaluate only SNPs that may lead to health problems when influenced by other external factors—factors you can often change.
It’s very important to remember that the SNPs included on your test indicate risk, not certainty. Testing positive for a SNP doesn’t mean you are sure to develop a health problem. By the same token, if you don’t have SNP associated with a certain disease, that doesn’t mean you are completely protected from that disease, or that you shouldn’t take steps to optimize your health. It just means that your genetic risk is lower for that disease.
Why is testing important?
Imagine you were dealt a hand of cards and then were asked to play out your hand, without ever seeing the values of the cards. Without knowing the cards, you would have no idea how to best play out your hand. The outcome would depend on pure chance.
For most of history, this is the way preventive medicine has worked. People took supplements or drugs, followed diets, made lifestyle changes, without really knowing if these strategies were the ones that best suited their body and their personal risks. Many conditions influenced by genetics were treated only after a person developed the disease.
Seeing the results of your genetic test is like seeing the cards you’ve been dealt by Nature. Once you know the cards, you can develop the most effective strategy to play out your hand. That means working with the professionals at Signature Wellness to carefully develop a program that matches the unique health risks for your body.
Whether you choose to "see" your genes or not, they are always there. And they will continue to play an important role in your health. By choosing to look at them, you are giving yourself the opportunity to do something about them. In this way, you can more actively—and more accurately—promote your health.
Who can this test help?
The days of "one-size-fits-all" medicine are coming to an end. Anyone who has struggled for years with a chronic condition that doesn’t respond to conventional treatment, or who has experienced an adverse reaction to a commonly used food or medication, knows only too clearly how each person’s body functions and responds in a very unique way. Often, that’s because of our genes.
It allows Signature Wellness physician's to evaluate each patient’s unique genetic predispositions to disease, then develop and implement a carefully targeted, customized intervention plan even before pre-disease imbalances are manifest. Knowing your genetic "strong" points and "weak" points allows you to devise a targeted, personal approach that increases your chances of remaining fit and active as you grow older.
Empower Yourself—Gain Deeper Insight Into Your Health
Areas currently tested:
Cardiovascular Risk
Osteoporosis and Bone Metabolism
Cancer Risk and Oxidative Stress
Allergy and Asthma and Immune function
Call Signature Wellness today
about how genetic testing can improve the quality of your health care. |
