By Aliza Saskin on Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Choosing the Right PGx Test As pharmacogenetics testing becomes more widely available, it is important to understand that not all tests are the same. Different testing companies provide different recommendations with regards to applying information from PGx tests into clinical practice. It is important to understand what you are getting when you buy a PGx
By Aliza Saskin on Tuesday, June 19th, 2018 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Medical marijuana use has been growing at a rapid rate. While cannabis has been used for pain relief for hundreds of years the evidence on its validity remains limited. Despite this, the widespread legalization and commercialization of medical marijuana has made it a popular treatment option for those suffering from chronic pain. When multiple drugs
By Andrea Huston on Tuesday, April 17th, 2018 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Ancestry genetic testing is a great introduction to genetics for many consumers. Direct-to-consumer ancestry tests can predict how much Neanderthal DNA you’ve inherited or that your eyes are blue rather than brown. These tests are entertaining, affordable and have changed the relationship we have with our DNA. However, ancestry tests are not a substitute for
By Veronika Litinski on Thursday, March 22nd, 2018 in Genetics 101. No Comments
An estimated 17 percent of North Americans will experience a serious bout of depression during their lifetime, and 20 percent will experience an anxiety disorder. Antidepressant medications are typically prescribed to help with six broad categories: panic attacks; obsessions and worries; general anxiety; social anxieties or phobias; and any combination of depression, anxiety and/or panic. Most
By Andrea Huston on Wednesday, February 28th, 2018 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Millions of people are diagnosed with major depressive disorder every year. For roughly 30% of these individuals, standard antidepressants are not effective. People with treatment-resistant depression typically exhaust all options, trying antidepressant after antidepressant with no improvement in symptoms. Treatment-resistant patients sometimes turn to other therapies, such as cognitive behaviour therapy, electroshock therapy and transcranial
By Veronika Litinski on Tuesday, February 27th, 2018 in Genetics 101. No Comments
We all have been there: trying to make a best decision about something really complicated, like paying hundreds of $ for a medical test not covered by the health insurance. Genetic testing for mental health medications is in this category, at least for now. After glancing over a bunch of google ads, I was left
By Andrea Huston on Tuesday, February 27th, 2018 in Drug Response. No Comments
Depression is largely thought to result from chemical imbalances in the brain. Brain chemicals – such as serotonin and norephinephrine – alter our mood and can cause depression when levels are too low. Yet many researchers now believe depression is far more complex, involving many other processes. Growing evidence suggests that inflammation is linked to
By Ruslan Dorfman on Wednesday, January 17th, 2018 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Pharmacogenetics is the science of how genes affect your body’s response to medications. Enzymes in the liver metabolize drugs so they can be cleared from the body. These enzymes are coded by genes, and variations in these genes can determine how individuals respond to drugs. A pharmacogenomic test, such as Pillcheck, measures the genetic variations
By Andrea Huston on Friday, December 1st, 2017 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Falls are the most common cause of injury and injury-related hospitalizations in the elderly. According to the Canadian Community Health Survey, between 20-30% of seniors fall each year. Falls in seniors are estimated to directly cost over $2 billion per year in Canada alone. Falls account for 95% of all hip fractures, and the elderly
By Antonietta Cerroni, Ph.D. on Thursday, November 16th, 2017 in Genetics 101. No Comments
A recent safety review of Green Tea Extract by Health Canada has prompted the agency to reinforce label warnings, as announced on Wednesday, November 15, 2017. The changes are in response to yet another case of liver and kidney injury caused by a diet supplement. Health Canada is now asking manufacturers to use stronger language
By Andrea Huston on Wednesday, November 15th, 2017 in Drug Response. No Comments
Optimizing medications for older patients Prescribing for older patients can be challenging. Studies have shown that the elderly are more unpredictable in their response to both the benefits and adverse effects of medications. There are many biological processes that determine how the body reacts to a drug and each of these processes are affected by
By Veronika Litinski on Monday, October 23rd, 2017 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Millennials, Mental Health, and the Modern Labor Market Western medicine has become much better at detecting mental illness. Decades ago, far too many people went undiagnosed. Their problems are much more likely to be recognized today. More than any other age group, Millennials are being diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorders. ○ Rates of Depression Diagnosis ○ 19%
By Ruslan Dorfman on Thursday, September 28th, 2017 in Genetics 101. No Comments
While our DNA does not change over time, clinical guidelines established by the scientific community are continuously refined and expanded to cover a growing number of medications. In order to provide a lifetime of Pillcheck value to our customers, we periodically update reports, incorporating the most up-to-date information and medications. On page 7 of the
By Andrea Huston on Tuesday, September 5th, 2017 in Genetics 101. No Comments
The search to reverse aging and extend lifespan has intrigued humanity ever since we developed awareness of our own mortality. New scientific data now suggests that the fountain of youth is in our genes. Researchers at the Salk Institute (La Jolla, California), reversed aging in mice by reprogramming their genome. These genetically engineered mice had
By Manoja Eswara on Thursday, August 3rd, 2017 in Genetics 101. No Comments
-Manoja Eswara, Ph.D. People experiencing adverse reactions to antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin, Sulfadiazine, or other sulfa-containing drugs should consider test for Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) gene that encodes for an essential enzyme responsible for protecting cells from oxidative stress. G6PD deficiency is the lead cause of Acute Hemolytic Anemia (AHA), a condition that damages
By Manoja Eswara on Tuesday, June 13th, 2017 in Drug Response. No Comments
-Manoja Eswara, Ph.D Aspirin is the most commonly used countertop drug to reduce pain, fever, and inflammation. It is also used to treat or prevent heart attacks and chest pain. But Aspirin is not suited to everyone. Many develop allergies to Aspirin, which range from mild to severe rash and hives (Urticaria), nasal polyps, headache,
By Antonietta Cerroni, Ph.D. on Monday, May 29th, 2017 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Antonietta M. Cerroni, Ph.D. May 23, 2017 Green tea extract, a readily available “natural health product” (NHP), can have a devastating impact on liver function in people who are deficient in certain key enzymes, leading to toxicity, liver injury, liver failure and even death. The Difference Between Green Tea and Green Tea Extract Many people
By Manoja Eswara on Wednesday, May 17th, 2017 in Genetics 101. No Comments
By Manoja Eswara When the doctor prescribes a medicine, the first thing a pharmacist explains is when and how to take the medication with respect to your meals. Food plays an important role in the way drugs are taken up and utilized by our body. While some drugs need to be taken before meals, some
By Andrea Huston on Tuesday, April 4th, 2017 in Drug Response. No Comments
Have you been prescribed tamoxifen but can’t tolerate the side effects of the drug? For many, tamoxifen’s side effects are too much to stomach and the prospect of enduring them for 5 years is not appealing even at the risk of cancer recurrence. Tamoxifen is an option for hormone replacement therapy used to prevent recurrence
By Andrea Huston on Thursday, March 2nd, 2017 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Changes in mood have been reported by women on hormonal birth control for decades. A large-scale study now confirms a link between hormonal birth control and depression. Health data collected from over one million Danish women, aged 15 to 34, for a period of 14 years, was analyzed by researchers at the University of Copenhagen.
By Gouri Mukerjee on Wednesday, March 1st, 2017 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) like Tecta, Prilosec, Protonix, Nexium are commonly prescribed for heartburn, a symptom for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and erosive esophagitis. The use of PPIs reduces stomach acidity. PPI’s are also used to treat stomach ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. However, over 30% of people in North America fail to respond
By Andrea Huston on Tuesday, February 14th, 2017 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Rapid advances in DNA technology now allow us the opportunity to peak inside our genes, glimpsing information that reaches beyond what is outward apparent in eye colour, height, or the ability to form blood clots. A plethora of genetic testing companies have sprung up, offering services that predict everything from the percentage of Neanderthal DNA
By Ruslan Dorfman on Thursday, January 26th, 2017 in Genetics 101. No Comments
The risk of side effects and adverse reactions is a constant threat when physicians prescribe medication. Pharmacogenetics (PGx) tries to mitigate that risk. Traditional prescribing takes age, weight, sex, and biochemical test results when available into account. Pharmacogenetics uses genetic testing to assess variations in drug metabolizing genes to understand how individuals respond differently to
By Ruslan Dorfman on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Please click the following link to view this article www.canadianhealthcarenetwork.ca
By Ruslan Dorfman on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2016 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Please click the following link to view this article pharmacytimes.com
By Ruslan Dorfman on Thursday, November 17th, 2016 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Please click the following link to view the blog pharmacyu.ca
By Antonietta Cerroni, Ph.D. on Thursday, November 17th, 2016 in Genetics 101. No Comments
Many people diagnosed with depression cannot tolerate antidepressants even at low doses. Sometimes medications have the potential to do more harm than good – if your body cannot tolerate them. To treat the symptoms of depression, patients often try different medications to no avail; nothing seems to work. In the worst-case scenario, a serious adverse
By Antonietta Cerroni, Ph.D. on Friday, October 7th, 2016 in Genetics 101. No Comments
You may have heard the term “Precision Medicine” and wondered what it really means and how it can be applied to everyday life. There is one application to healthcare that empowers you to take control over your own health and well-being by allowing you to take a closer look at your prescription medications and how
By Sharon Wang on Monday, June 6th, 2016 in Genetics 101. No Comments
In this current age of marijuana decriminalization, both in Canada and the United States, you often hear conflicting claims purporting the addictiveness – or lack thereof – of marijuana. In our contemporary era of hyper-polarized debates, where do you go for reliable information? The answer – your genetic makeup of course! Three genetic variants linked
By Jelena Borovac on Friday, May 13th, 2016 in Genetics 101. No Comments
As humans continue to evolve on Earth, so will our impact on the Earth’s resources. One example of such evolution was recently highlighted in a study which reports a novel genetic component associated with vegetarian diet choices. Basically, the genetics of a specific food processing pathway in vegetarians seems to have evolved to accommodate for
By Sharon Wang on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2015 in Drug Response. No Comments
Carvedilol is a common prescription given to help lower blood pressure. However, determining whether carvedilol is the right medication for you, at what dose, and whether it will cause adverse side effects can be a long, drawn-out process of trial-and-error. Not more than a couple of years ago, this would have been you and your
By Sharon Wang on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015 in Drug Response. No Comments
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a very common condition that can have dangerous health consequences. Fortunately, many medications options are available to: Lower blood pressure numbers to a healthy range, and Prevent serious heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. But among these choices, how do you know which one is the best blood pressure
By Tom Leung on Wednesday, March 25th, 2015 in Drug Response. No Comments
Antidepressant use in psychiatry: Nowadays, physicians have an arsenal of drugs to combat psychiatric disorders: Anxiolytics, Antidepressants, Anti-psychotics, and Mood stabilizers. However, as with most other drugs, one dosage does NOT apply to all patients. A certain amount of drug might offer desired clinical improvements to some while under the same regiment others may exhibit
By Tom Leung on Tuesday, March 17th, 2015 in Drug Response. No Comments
Detrol (tolterodine) causes sleep disturbance side effects in patients who are slow drug metabolizers One of the most common manifestations of ‘urinary incontinence’ is excessive bladder wall contraction – causing an uncontrollable urge to visit the washroom. Antimuscarinics are the class of drugs given to patients suffering from urinary incontinence, and common ones include: Detrol
By Tom Leung on Monday, March 2nd, 2015 in Drug Response. No Comments
When it comes to cholesterol control, the first line of defense is always a healthy lifestyle and diet. But when that’s not enough, cholesterol medication can help to: Lower the heart-disease-causing bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, LDL), Lower triglycerides, a type of fat in blood, which also increases the risk of heart problems, and Increase the
By Tom Leung on Tuesday, January 28th, 2014 in Drug Response. No Comments
Depression is like a rain cloud that follows you wherever you go. Not only does it affect you, but also your family and friends. Luckily, taking antidepressants can effectively attenuate most symptoms of depression. There is just one problem: unpleasant side effects that deter people from treatment, although knowing that the medication can alleviate their
By Antonia Borovina on Thursday, January 23rd, 2014 in Drug Response. No Comments
A universal truth of all medications is that no matter how beneficial they may be, they are always associated with some risks. Perhaps some of the most controversial medications are antidepressants, especially when they are used to treat relatively mild or moderate depression since they can cause serious side effects. Some patients with suspected depression
By Ruslan Dorfman on Tuesday, January 21st, 2014 in Drug Response. No Comments
Patients diagnosed with advanced colon cancer have few treatment options besides surgery and aggressive chemotherapy. All chemotherapies are designed to block cell growth. Since all multiplying cells need to replicate their DNA, blocking DNA synthesis stops cell growth. The 5-Fluorouracil (5FU) drug is a modified nucleotide that blocks DNA replication. 5FU is commonly used in
By Antonia Borovina on Tuesday, December 10th, 2013 in Drug Response. No Comments
Tylenol 3 is the most commonly used medication for acute pain and is often used after minor surgical or dental procedures. Some patients complain that Tylenol 3 does not work for them, while others experience extreme nausea, dizziness and other symptoms of delirium. These side effects can be so serve that individuals may prefer to
By Antonia Borovina on Tuesday, November 26th, 2013 in Drug Response. No Comments
Finding the right treatment for depression is not easy. Physicians have many medications to choose from, however, they know that only a fraction of patients will respond to any given medication. Thus, they employ a “trial and error” approach where they test a specific medication for a few weeks before moving on to another one.
By Gouri Mukerjee on Thursday, November 21st, 2013 in Drug Response. No Comments
It can be quite challenging when antidepressants are not working. But, the treatment of depression remains one of trial-and-error. When a patient with clinical depression is prescribed an antidepressant, it takes about 4 to 6 weeks to find out if the medication actually works for the patient, during which the patient can suffer from side
By Ruslan Dorfman on Monday, October 21st, 2013 in Drug Response. No Comments
“Why didn’t the $99 DNA test reveal the reasons for the high incidence of colon cancer in my family?” We were recently asked this question from a woman who had paid for a popular DNA test for her entire family and did not get the answer to her question. There are many genetic and genomic
By Ruslan Dorfman on Thursday, August 1st, 2013 in Drug Response. No Comments
What is Tecta? How does Tecta work? Tecta (pantoprazole) is prescribed to treat gastrointestinal ulcers, or for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which includes heartburn and acid reflux, and reflux esophagitis. Tecta is part of a family of drugs called Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs). These drugs block Proton Pumps, and reduces stomach acidity to prevent ulcers,
By Ruslan Dorfman on Tuesday, July 30th, 2013 in Drug Response. No Comments
Confused when choosing a genetic testing provider? You came to the right place! This post aims to provide the answers to questions you may have when deciding which genetic testing provider is best for you. Common Concerns When Choosing a Genetic Testing Provider “I’m concerned about my risk of cancer and looking for a genetic
By Ruslan Dorfman on Tuesday, July 9th, 2013 in Drug Response. No Comments
How drugs affect the body Many commonly used drugs can be helpful for most while causing adverse reactions in others. Medication needs to be absorbed and then metabolized into a biologically active form or inactivated at a certain rate. Drug absorption and secretion (i.e. pharmacokinetics) can be affected by certain genetic variations that may render
By Ruslan Dorfman on Friday, June 7th, 2013 in Drug Response. No Comments
Statins have long being used for reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly in obese and Type 2 Diabetes patients. Clinical trials have demonstrated the positive role of statins in risk reduction that extended well beyond the associated reduction of cholesterol levels, therefore, many physicians
By Sim Panesar on Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013 in Drug Response. No Comments
Decision to Smoke The future look into potential genetic treatment to quit smoking and some interesting HR policies Smokers have been broadly criticized for polluting the air around them with second hand smoke and now seeds of discussion are being planted around the implications of hiring smokers. But where does one’s desire to smoke come
By Ruslan Dorfman on Thursday, May 16th, 2013 in Drug Response. No Comments
Chronic pain is not only debilitating and horrible consequence of chronic diseases, trauma, but is also inevitable consequence of medical treatments. Chronic pain is refractory to most of the treatments, but we believe that genetics of pain and pharmacogenetics can substantially improve pain management. In many cases chronic pain arises due to neural trauma during
By Sim Panesar on Monday, May 6th, 2013 in Drug Response. No Comments
Is lean steak – high in protein, low in fat & cholesterol – heart healthy? The answer surprising … Intuition would elude one to believe lean steak to be a healthier red meat option especially when it comes to maintaining top notch cardiac functions. With specs of high protein, low fat and low cholesterol, how
By Sim Panesar on Wednesday, May 1st, 2013 in Drug Response. No Comments
Companies all over the world leverage big data to assess the health of their organization and measure the impact of tools or technologies they use to deliver the products or services. From a business stand point effective interpretation of these metrics saves time and money devoted to seeking the most suitable investment options. Similarly from
By Ruslan Dorfman on Sunday, April 21st, 2013 in Drug Response. No Comments
Did you fill a prescription recently? If you did, you certainly received a 3-4 page printout called a drug monograph. This is a legal document that designed to explain: the possible harms that could be caused by the drug (dizziness, nausea, etc.) how it should be taken (i.e. take three times a day with food),
By Ruslan Dorfman on Sunday, August 26th, 2012 in Drug Response. No Comments
Current genome sequencing technologies already allow for cost effective and comprehensive disease prediction. However, for the average consumer, does it really make sense to pay $5,000 for a whole genome analysis at this time? And what can they gain from an analysis of this sort? After all, genome sequencing will identify three to five million
