The Navigator - Navigenics Blog

Genetic insights into health and wellness

All results for "Crohn's disease" (4)

October 27, 2008

Cramps and groans? Consider Crohn’s

Michael Nierenberg, M.D.,

Navigenics Medical Director

Posted 11:37 AM PDT

imageCrohn’s disease isn’t something that usually comes up in cocktail party conversations.  It isn’t featured prominently in television shows or radio spots. Ask your average person what Crohn’s is, and they likely will be hard-pressed to give you the right answer.

But this chronic inflammatory bowel disease is featured on the Web site of the New York Times, putting a face – or faces, in this case – to this rarely discussed disorder. In this interactive feature, seven people ranging in age from 19 to 61 share their experiences with the condition that has been diagnosed in more than 300,000 Americans.

“It takes forever to get diagnosed with Crohn’s,” recounts Ryan Walsh Horowitz, 19, of Brooklyn. “They thought I was anemic. They thought I had leukemia – and a bunch of other things.”

That is not surprising, nor an isolated problem.

Crohn’s has long been overlooked or misdiagnosed in the general public. The most common symptoms are, well, common: diarrhea, constipation, gas, abdominal pain, bloating and loss of weight. So it’s easy to see why many other health conditions are often suspected first.

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Categories: Vitamin D, Crohn's disease

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October 06, 2008

With psoriasis, look past your skin

Michael Nierenberg, M.D.,

Navigenics Medical Director

Posted 01:51 PM PDT

imagePsoriasis is a dermatological condition that is more than skin deep.

This chronic skin disease, known for its silvery scales and itchy red patches, has been linked to a whole host of other health problems.

These include heart attack, type 2 diabetes, obesity and Crohn’s disease. Scientific evidence continues to mount that psoriasis is associated with other diseases, as well.

In some cases, the association is quite significant.

One study found that 20- to 30-year-olds with severe psoriasis had a 310 percent increased risk of having a heart attack compared with peers who didn’t have the skin disorder.

And the risks don’t stop there.

In a review this spring of recent research on the association between psoriasis and other ailments, the National Psoriasis Foundation warned that psoriasis patients are at heightened risk for many serious health conditions. The organization urged psoriasis patients to work with their physicians to come up with an appropriate prevention program, and to ensure they are continually monitored for the “potential onset of any health issues related to psoriasis.”

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Categories: Stroke, Crohn's disease, Diabetes, Heart attack, Obesity, Psoriasis

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August 18, 2008

Don’t let this healthy catch get away

Michael Nierenberg, M.D.,

Navigenics Medical Director

Posted 09:55 AM PDT

imageAn apple a day isn’t enough anymore. Now you also need to think fish or flaxseed in your diet to help keep the doctor away. That is why Navigenics has new recommendations to encourage our members to be sure they get enough omega-3 fatty acids in their diet.

Omega-3 fatty acids aren’t snake oil, promising to cure all ills; rather, they are oils from fish or certain nuts and plants, and researchers have found strong evidence that they have many potential health benefits.

These polyunsaturated fatty acids are found primarily in fish and fish oils, but also in some plant-based oils, such as canola oil or flaxseed oil, and certain leafy green vegetables, including spinach, kale, broccoli and seaweed.  They are essential to human health, but cannot be made by the body. That is why it is so important for people to make sure they get sufficient amounts of them through diet or supplements—and to know how much they need.

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Categories: About Navigenics, Alzheimer's disease, Breast cancer, Crohn's disease, Heart attack, Heart disease, Macular degeneration, Rheumatoid arthritis

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July 24, 2008

Gene variants for Crohn’s disease: 32 and counting

Elana Silver,

Navigenics Curation and Epidemiology Manager

Posted 09:25 AM PDT

imageAmong the recent swath of studies associating common genetic variants with common diseases, Crohn’s disease has fared especially well. A team of international researchers has discovered 21 additional variants that not only increase Crohn’s risk, but expand understanding of how the disease works.

That amount of additional knowledge would be great news for any health condition, but it is especially welcome in Crohn’s disease. Scientists still have a lot to learn about how this inflammatory gastrointestinal disorder does its damage, and the condition is difficult to diagnose and treat.

Knowing your risk ahead of time can help speed a correct diagnosis if you develop Crohn’s symptoms. And better insights may lead to better treatments.

Understanding the importance of these new genetic findings starts with a quick look at the research to date.

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Categories: Genetic research, Crohn's disease

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