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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 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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-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 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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Primum non nocere  “first do not harm”, is the main principle underlying the Hippocratic Oath that Doctors have to follow.  Based on this principle physicians are inherently skeptical about new medical technologies, which slows the adoption of innovations. Pharmacogenetic testing is not an exception. Socrates described that “medicine acts as both remedy and poison“. When 

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Please click the following link to view this article pharmacytimes.com

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 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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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, 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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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), 

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