May 11, 2010
Understanding Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia in people 65 years and older, is of the utmost importance as the population of the United States (and many other nations) becomes increasingly older. Currently more than five million Americans are thought to have the disease, but by the [...]
September 17, 2009
New research suggests the primary genetic mutation that causes alpha-1 antritrypsin deficiency, a condition that results in liver damage and a wide variety of other problems, also affects risk for liver disorders associated with cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited, childhood-onset disorder [...]
August 26, 2009
A new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association adds to the mounting evidence that genetic variations impact the efficacy of clopidogrel (Plavix®), a drug used to prevent blood clots in people who have had a heart attack or stroke and also those with peripheral artery disease and unstable [...]
January 28, 2009
Treatment advances have dramatically increased the cure rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common diagnosed cancer in children, from less than 10% in the 1960’s to more than 80%. But even in those children who are cured, the response to treatment varies from patient to patient. For [...]
January 21, 2009
It’s a situation that would leave many physicians at a loss. A 55-year-old man with a family history of dementia asks his doctor about genetic testing for Alzheimer’s disease. Is there a test? Which test should be used? Is testing even appropriate? This week the Journal of the American Medical [...]
November 25, 2008
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide [...]
September 30, 2008
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide [...]
March 19, 2008
The latest indication that the medical establishment takes personalized medicine seriously – this week's Journal of the American Medical Association is a special theme issue dedicated to genetics and genomics. The journal points to the incredible pace of recent discoveries associating specific genetic [...]
