Jan 22
2019
DNA Testing: What Does It Say About Patient Health?
Disease and illness are running wild these days and individuals are more aware than ever of the need to make lifestyle changes. There has been an increase in the number of people who are interested in getting educated about their health and ways to improve it. Beyond dieting, exercising, and getting enough sleep, patients are digging deeper to find out what’s going on.
To know what’s going on, one must first have a clear understanding of their family history. While some may know of a few generations and medical histories, many are clueless as to their bloodline and how it can impact their health or efforts to improve. Fortunately, modern technology has made it possible for individuals to have a clearer picture.
DNA tests for family history and its increased accessibility to the average consumers have cultivated a new method for improving health and wellness. With a full breakdown of a person’s genetic makeup, medical providers and private companies are able to learn a lot about an individual and what steps need to be taken to enhance their well-being. Here’s a look at some of the data derived from DNA testing:
- Dietary Options – When it comes to eating right, what works for one individual may not work for another. Genetic testing can give patients insight on what they should and shouldn’t be eating. Results can conclude things like how much protein a person should eat, which fats are best, your food sensitivities, nutritional deficiencies, and the types and how much carbs you should be consuming.
- Disease Risks – It is believed that there are some genetic components tied to the development of certain diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoarthritis, cancer, and more. Advanced DNA tests, however, now reveal whether or not a patient is at risk of developing certain diseases based on their genetic coding. This knowledge can help patients to get proactive and start making more efficient changes to their lives to prevent the diseases.
- Weight Management – Not every patient is successful in losing weight simply by eating good foods and exercising. For some, there is a genetic link that hinders them. Whether it be the love of sweets, addictive traits, some underlying disease relating to weight, or a family history of obesity, it can be discovered through DNA testing. Armed with this information patients can then make more effective decisions and get support in areas they weren’t aware they needed it to finally shed the pounds and keep them off.
- Efficient Medicine – From treating mental illness to life-threatening diseases, doctors rely on modern medicine to help improve the lives of their patients. However, as with most things, what works for one patient may not be as effective for another. DNA testing, however, changes that because they now have a clear picture of their patient’s genetic makeup and how it is impacted by certain medications. This provides healthcare providers with a more accurate means for prescribing the right medication and dosage with fewer side effects and more effective results for their patients.
Thanks to the advancements of modern technology like DNA testing healthcare providers and their patients are equipped with data that can increase the quality of life. Though it is still crucial to be observant, eat right, exercise and take medications as prescribed, the use of such data makes it possible to get more detailed in each category on what will work most effectively for each person. This reduces the risk of disease, enhances treatment options, and reduces the unhealthy state of patient health today.