24 Jan Focusing on Genetics is the Future of Medicine
Focusing on genetics is the future of medicine and important for your overall health.
Genetic tests are now available to all of us through companies like 23andme.com. They test thousands of snips or genetic mutations and all you have to do is provide a sample of your saliva. I encourage all to order a kit, which currently costs $199. We can gain vast knowledge from this simple genetic test that allows us to better our health more effectively and precisely.
Genetic testing has already made a difference in the lives of my patients. I found that some of my patients are genetically predisposed to have low vitamin D. They have something called a vitamin D receptor abnormality and no matter how much vitamin D they take at normal levels, they don’t seem to be able to get enough. By testing genetics and knowing they have this particular abnormality, we can be more diligent and more aggressive than would normally be recommended in order to achieve a normal level of vitamin D.
We know that Vitamin D improves insulin resistance so it helps with weight loss. It helps with decreasing your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. It helps with cancer prevention. In fact, getting your vitamin D levels to optimal levels above 60 can decrease your risk of breast cancer by 50%.
That’s just one example of how a genetic test from a company like 23andme can be helpful to a doctor practicing precision medicine – and to the patient. Precision medicine is individualized and custom to you. It’s no longer one size fits all. We’re all different and have so many genetic variations. By understanding our genetics, we are able to take our health to the next level.
Read the follow-up post with information about how you can turn your genetic data into information that can help improve the health of you and your family.
When you learn the science, you can achieve your best health.
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Mary Caire MD empowers the world to create a culture of optimized health guided by DNA and epigenetics.