Most of us know the main pillars of good health, such as eating a balanced diet, getting enough exercise, staying hydrated, and managing stress.
Taking into account the fact that each of us is unique, what usually works for me may or may not work for you. So understanding that each person’s body is different, with unique strengths and weaknesses, is key to successful treatment outcomes.
With that in mind, do you think it is possible to tailor medicine to your body’s individuality?
While we know that most health systems are designed to be reactive – that is, they respond only after disease has already been detected – precision medicine is a medical revolution making health care proactive instead.
Fedhealth, in partnership with local medical biotech company Intelligene, is one of the first open medical aid schemes in South Africa to offer precision medicine-based genetic testing.
Many studies looking into the use of genetic and genomic testing have concentrated on people who have a particular condition such as cancer or other genetic, undiagnosed or rare diseases.
However, precision medicine now offers personalisation for the majority of illnesses, including diabetes and hypertension.
Genetic testing is very motivating and empowering for patients, according to Dr Christa North of Intelligene. Patients could have such testing done to gain a better understanding of themselves, avoid unnecessary blood tests, find out which nutrients they require more of, fine-tune their exercise routines, or take appropriate medication or supplements, she said.
How does gene/precision medicine help you?
Fedhealth and Intellgene claim patients’ health can be significantly improved by the application of pharmacogenetics – the study of how a person’s genes affect the efficacy of specific medications – as this will allow them to know beforehand whether a medication is likely to benefit them and is safe to use.
Also, it can assist doctors to decide which drugs and dosages are appropriate for each patient. This can increase therapy efficacy and lower treatment costs.
Besides finding out our predispositions to certain illnesses, personalised genetic testing can allow people to get a much more detailed picture of their overall health.
This includes how they absorb nutrients like vitamin D, which sports their body will respond better to, and which medication will give them the best results to treat their existing health condition/s.
It can identify which medication will work better for you.
Gene testing involving pharmacogenomics can show which types of medications are likely to be more effective on a particular person being treated for certain chronic diseases.
Help identify which diseases you’re predisposed to.
Also, genetic testing can reveal whether you or your children are predisposed to certain diseases, such as diabetes or cancer.
Armed with this knowledge, you can adjust your diet and lifestyle to prevent the onset of some of these disorders, which may require long-term medication and other therapies.
Suggest which diets work best for you.
Gene testing can also show the type of diet –such as Banting, paleo, or Mediterranean – that is best for your specific body type and genetic make-up, or whether you would benefit from intermittent fasting.
This information might be very beneficial for those who are attempting to lose weight, as well as for health-care providers like dieticians or nutritionists, who can use it to give patients more personalised recommendations.
Help determine what nutrients your body needs.
Gene testing can determine which foods and food groups your body is most likely to respond to best, which nutrients your body may need more of compared with most other people, which vitamins you are likely to be deficient in (for example, vitamin D), and which foods you should avoid depending on your specific goals, such as trying to lose weight or building muscle.
Determine which exercise is best suited to you.
Genetic testing can help identify the type of exercise that is most beneficial for your body type, enabling you to get the most out of exercise by performing better for your body type – for example, if you’re better at activities involving power and speed such as sprinting and swimming, or slower endurance sports like long-distance running and cycling.
As part of the pilot programme, Fedhealth has decided to roll out gene testing to a group of members currently using chronic medication to manage one of five specific conditions, including diabetes and hypertension.
The actual gene testing is painless – a quick cheek swab is all it takes for the material to be collected and delivered to the lab for analysis.
The human body is complex and affected by many factors, but knowledge is power.
“We’re excited about the potential for this technology to improve our members’ health care and well-being, as well as empower medical professionals to make better decisions,” said Fedhealth’s principal officer, Jeremy Yatt.
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