In one of the more famous public service announcements ever to hit American television, a man cracks open an egg, drops it into a hot frying pan and says “This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?” In another memorable segment, actress Rachael Leigh Cook smashes an egg – and the entire kitchen – with a skillet to illustrate what happens to the brain on heroin.

But what happens to the brain after many years of smoking? New research indicates the picture is no less disturbing. Smoking side effects go beyond the heart and the lungs; they go to the very core of your being—your mind.

In a study of more than 5,000 civil servants living in London, researchers determined that smoking is associated with an increased risk of poor memory. Smoking in middle age was linked not only to a significant memory deficit, but also to a decline in reasoning ability.

The concern, however, isn’t just that smokers might forget where they put their keys or glasses. The researchers noted that cognitive impairment is often a precursor to dementia.

Read More

Going up?

If you regularly take the elevator instead of the stairs, your weight – and blood pressure and lipid levels– may be going up, too.

Sure, elevators and escalators may seem more convenient and time-efficient, especially when you’re cradling your laptop or a load of groceries in your hands. But health experts have long advised folks to make simple changes to sneak more exercise into their daily routine. And scientific research is beginning to suggest that there’s benefit in taking the stairs.

In fact, one British scientist who has studied the public’s use of stairs – or lack thereof—said the benefits might be far greater than you think.

Read More

Are you at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease? It appears your nose may know.

In a growing body of research, an inability to identify common scents has been associated with the development of mild cognitive impairment – a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. Older adults who have difficulty identifying odors such as lemon or cinnamon are more likely to have problems with thinking, learning and memory, according to one such study by Chicago researchers.

That may sound a bit far-fetched. But scientists know that protein deposits called tangles begin to appear in a region of the brain responsible for smell before symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease manifest themselves. An inability to identify some scents has been linked to other neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, and scientists are still attempting to understand why this is.

The findings are raising hopes that doctors may one day be able to administer a sort of “scratch ‘n sniff” test to gauge olfactory abilities as part of determining a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Read More

Here’s some news to sleep on. If you don’t snooze, you’ll lose – some health benefits, that is. And if you do snooze, you’ll lose – at least when it comes to weight.

Just what is all this sleep-talk about?

Scientific research continues to uncover evidence that sleep has many health benefits. It’s long been known that a proper night’s sleep can boost a person’s mood, but new studies indicate that it is good for the heart, brain, and waistline, too.

With Americans sleeping, on average, only about 6.5 hours per night (instead of the recommended eight), this might seem like a tough sell. But the good news is that power naps can help.

In one long-term study of more than 23,000 people, scientists found that midday napping, or siestas, reduced deaths from heart disease by about one-third. Even occasional nappers – those who napped fewer than three times per week – had a 12 percent reduction in coronary mortality.

The protective effect of naps was especially strong in working men, the researchers determined.

“Taking a nap could turn out to be an important weapon in the fight against coronary mortality,” Dimitrios Trichopoulos, the study’s lead author, told the Washington Post. “If you have an opportunity to take a nap, then, yes, do it. If you’re accustomed to taking a nap, then don’t give it up.”

Read More

In an era when new DNA discoveries are announced daily, it often seems like the amount of genetic information we now have about ourselves is endless. Quantity, however, isn’t always the same thing as quality.

While genomic science continues to uncover fascinating details about our DNA, some of those findings are more useful than others. It may be interesting, for example, to learn whether you share a sprinter’s genetic propensity for speed. It’s important, however, to know whether you carry a high genetic risk for heart attack.

In our genetic health service, Navigenics analyzes only DNA relevant to your health.

To be added to our gene test panel, a health condition and the science behind it have to meet strict rules:

Read More

You have heard of the elderly. But how about the “wellderly”? The moniker is now being used to describe healthy seniors over the age of 80 who have been fortunate enough to live long – without any chronic diseases or the assistance of long-term medication.

What’s their secret? Scientists would like to know, too. In southern California, a group of researchers has launched the “Wellderly Study” to analyze the genes of some 1,000 healthy octogenarians, nonagenarians and centenarians. The researchers hope that by exploring the DNA of this long-lived group, they will have a better understanding of the genetics behind longevity and lifelong health.

For the Wellderly project, Scripps scientists will compare the DNA from healthy seniors with DNA taken from seniors who died from common diseases such as cancer, heart attack and stroke before they made it to 80. This second group has been dubbed the “Illderly.”

Many of the wellderly, the scientists note in the journal Nature, do have genes that should have made them susceptible to diseases – yet they’ve still managed to stay healthy.

Read More

As a physician with many years in private practice, I’ve always valued tools that helped me care for my patients on an ongoing basis. Everyone’s health is prone to vary over time, so there is definite benefit to new science that highlights change.

That’s why a key aspect of the Navigenics genetic health service – ongoing updates – is so important. When Navigenics analyzes a person’s DNA, the findings don’t stop with that first genetic report. As new genetic research findings pass our rigorous scientific scrutiny, we bring our members additional information about their current conditions and new ones.

This process means that our members’ DNA results stay current with the latest and best genetic science.

This week, we’ve started providing our members their personal genetic insights into two additional conditions:

Read More

With high gas prices already pinching you in the pocketbook, you might be cringing a bit when you see the cost of organic foods these days. A gallon of organic milk: $6.99. Small container of organic blueberries: $4.99. A single sweet potato: $1.69.

What price health?

But don’t let the dollar amounts deter you. When you eat organic foods, especially fruits and vegetables, you aren’t just doing a good turn for the environment. You are doing your body good, and possibly lowering your risk for health problems in the future, including conditions covered in the Navigenics genetic health service.

Many consumers have long wondered whether organics live up to their hype. More nutritious? Better for the waistline? Less toxic? I’ve looked at the science, and the answers are a resounding yes, yes and yes.

Here’s why.

Read More