World Diabetes Day_Total_DNA

Live a sweet life: Discover your predisposition to diabetes.

Did you know that around the world each day, every 8 seconds, diabetes kills one person? For the 415 million people living with diabetes, this is a very real, and devastating statistic.
This is also a frightening statistic for the almost 2 million Australians living with the two major types of Diabetes. So what exactly is diabetes, and how does it affect people?
Basically, diabetes is the result of a person failing to maintain optimal levels of glucose in the blood. Glucose is a form of sugar, and is the main source of energy needed by our bodies.
In a healthy body, the glucose from the food we eat is converted into energy, by a hormone called insulin.
In a diabetic body, there is little to no insulin produced to convert the sugar into energy. This results in the glucose staying in the blood. Blood glucose levels must be monitored regularly, so that they do not rise too high, or drop too low. An elevated or diminished blood sugar reading can produce serious side effects that need to be treated immediately.

There are 2 main types of diabetes:
Type 1: an autoimmune condition where the pancreas does not produce insulin. People with Type 1 diabetes rely on insulin injections to survive. Without insulin, the body starts breaking down its own fats, releasing chemical substances into the blood. These chemicals can accumulate and have serious health implications for the sufferer.

Type 2: this form of diabetes happens over time, and is essentially the body becoming resistant to the normal effects of insulin, or, the body losing the ability to produce enough insulin to keep a person healthy. The body reacts by producing much more insulin than the body needs, but this effectively wears out the pancreas and greatly reduces the number of insulin-producing cells.

Both types of diabetes can affect the body in many ways, and causes a number of long term health problems in those who have it. Diabetics can suffer from a range of symptoms and associated illnesses, including, but not limited to, a loss of consciousness, disturbances in their vision, and increased susceptibility to glaucoma an cataracts, extreme thirst, fatigue, high blood pressure, damaged blood vessels and a heightened risk of stroke, heart disease, infections and nerve damage.

So is diabetes a genetic condition, and are there ways of preventing it? For both types of diabetes, there is solid evidence to suggest that people can be genetically predisposed to this debilitating condition. Aside from having frank and open discussions with your immediate family members, genetic testing can help to determine if you are at
risk of developing diabetes. Total DNA Services offers a Genetic Predisposition Test, which analyses your DNA (from a safe and painless mouth swab) against the key markers associated with the onset of more than 30 diseases, including diabetes. Your results will be available in a timely manner, and will provide you with a personalised report ranking each condition as either a high, medium or low risk. What a great way to invest in the future of your health.

World Diabetes Day falls on 14 November, so this is the perfect time to order your test from Total DNA Services, and to become better informed about diabetes. This year’s theme is ‘The Family and Diabetes’, which aims to raise awareness about how diabetes affects the family unit, and to highlight the important roles that family members play in supporting their loves ones with diabetes.

For more detailed information about diabetes, Diabetes Australia can help.

Infancy Loss_awareness Months

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month: Help to prevent SIDS, SUDI and Prenatal Baby Loss.

Pregnancy and child birth are some of the most exciting times in the lives of families, but sometimes, not everything goes to plan. There is nothing more devastating than losing a child during pregnancy, or experiencing the death of a child during its infancy. In Australia in 2016 (most recent data), there were 2849 perinatal deaths, including 742 neonatal deaths (deaths within 28 days of birth) and 2107 stillbirths.
Although these statistics seem high, the good news is that since 1989, the rate of Sudden Unexplained Death in Infancy (SUDI) and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) has decreased by 85%, and an estimated 10,329 lives have been saved since a number of education and risk reduction campaigns were introduced.

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, a movement that originated in America, but is today recognised worldwide. It is a time to recognise and promote the importance of early and ongoing support for the 1 in 4 Australian parents who experience the loss of a baby. Coinciding with a month of awareness, October 15 is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.
On this day, families across the globe are encouraged to light a candle in remembrance at 7pm. Burning a candle for one hour would create a continuous wave of light across the world for 24hrs, symbolising the importance of these children.

Studies show that up to 15% of SUDI and SIDS deaths are associated with specific genetic diseases.
A study undertaken in 2017 revealed that genetic screening could be instrumental in the further prevention of these devastating deaths.

Pregnancy Peace Of Mind Total DNA

Total DNA Services offers two genetic tests that can provide peace of mind to expecting parents, and those of infants.
The Prenatal Peace screening test is 100% safe, and does not involve the removal of amniotic fluid from the uterus, as performed during an amniocentesis.
It is important to note that this test is not a diagnostic test, and cannot replace an amniocentesis or a chorionic villus sampling. Prenatal Peace screens for 18 genetic conditions, and can be taken from as early as 10 weeks after conception. The Newborn Genetic Test with NOVA is suitable for children up to 5 years of age, and tests for your baby’s risk of developing 50 inherited disorders.

These tests do not have the ability to prevent the unexplained death of an unborn baby or infant, but can screen for the predisposition or likelihood of genetic conditions such as a cardiac channelopathy, metabolic conditions, or seizure disorders. Children with these conditions are more vulnerable and at a greater risk of SIDS and SUDI, as their health is already compromised.
Total DNA Services provides results in a timely manner, and all results are analysed by our scientists, using Next Generation Sequencing Technology.

So how can you help? Thankfully, there are a number of ways that you can help fund research, support grief counselling, and show that you care about families affected by SUDI and SIDS.

  • Donate to Red Nose Day: Perhaps Australia’s most recognised advocate of SIDS and SUDI. Even though Red Nose Day is in August, you can donate, buy merchandise or fundraise all year round. Go to https://rednose.org.au/ to see how you can help. The website also has a wide range of information about grief, as well as shared experiences from people who have lost a baby.  
  • Bears Of Hope: Providing support and care for bereaved families, Bears of Hope allow a bereaved family to gift a special bear to another grieving family, showing them that they are not alone during their time of loss. Anyone can purchase or donate a Bears of Hope Gift Package, which offers comfort, healing and hope to affected families.

During Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, show you care about families who have experienced the most harsh of losses; that of an unborn baby or infant.

TotalDNA_Work_Life_Balances

Think about yourself – be a champion of your health!

Women are busy. Working, caring for children, keeping on top of the housework, paying the bills, grocery shopping, trying to fit in a bit of exercise here and there, our ‘to do’ lists are forever growing, and our free time is forever diminishing. Men do many of these things in their daily lives too, but studies show that women are more likely to suffer burnout due to the pressures of keeping it all together in what is commonly known as work life balance.

Women are often told to ‘take it easy’ and ‘have time for you’, but when you are so used to leading a full life, and when you’re used to doing everything, sometimes it’s very hard to do nothing!
Women’s Health Week runs from September 2-6, and is a great opportunity for women all over Australia to take a look at their busy lives and try to find a way to strike a balance between work and play. It is a week to highlight how women can rise up and support each other all through the year, improving health, stress levels, relationships and wellbeing.

Total DNA Services is 100% behind good health for women, and has a range of tests that can complement the actions that you are taking to improve your work life balance. We have tests to suit all women through all stages of their lives, including prenatal, health and wellbeing, clinical and even oncology tests.
Perhaps the most beneficial test that could help women to improve their overall health is the NutriFit suite of tests, which includes NutriFit, NutriPlan, and the Nutrifit Premium DNA tests.
NutriFit is designed to provide you with powerful information about the most important person in your life – you! Nutrifit analyses your unique DNA sample, providing results that reveal how you metabolise alcohol and caffeine, how your body responds to different forms of exercise, and how susceptible you are to a number of conditions, including obesity, high cholesterol, and weakening of the bones. NutriPlan is an add-on to the Nutrifit test, and comes in the form of a recipe book and personalised eating plan based on your genetic information. It is great for busy women who want to take the hassle out of constantly figuring out what to cook for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Health PlanNutrifit Premium is the pinnacle of DNA testing results, and provides you with an analysis and recommendations tailored to your genetic information. From sports and nutrition reports to diet type suggestions and rejuvenation reports, it is the ideal test for women wanting to optimise their health and fitness goals.

Another great test for women is the Karmagenes Personality DNA Test, which unveils the secrets about what makes you the person that you are. Your genetics play a big part in whether you are a highly strung stress head or a laid back lady who takes it all in her stride. Karmagenes assesses your DNA and reveals to you up to 14 behavioural characteristics based on your individual genetic make-up.

If you’re feeling a bit (or a lot) overwhelmed with how your life is going, Women’s Health Week is the best time to change it up and feel better, get fitter, take more time out for yourself, and see how your genetics play a huge part in shaping who you are, what you like, and how you deal with the pressures of modern life. Women of all ages can plan an event to encourage each other to put themselves first. They can raise awareness of health services in their area, join a social club, find an exercise group, or even just take a few hours out of their day to have a nice lunch with friends, family, or even by themselves. The event guide for Women’s Health Week is a great place to start!

So take a step off the rollercoaster that is your busy life, and be the champion of your own health this September!

 

Can I have a DNA test while being pregnant?

Prenatal Paternity Testing

Pregnancy Peace Of Mind Total DNA

Life is full of ups, downs and surprises. Finding out that you are pregnant is one of those surprises that happen to so many women all over the world, each and every day. Life is also often complicated, so sometimes, once the reality has set in, a woman or a couple want to know the paternity of their unborn child.

Of course, a paternity test can be undertaken after the child has been born, but it is not unusual for some people to want to confirm the father of a child prior to its’ birth.

So comes the question, can I take a DNA test while being pregnant?

There are a number of methods used to test the paternity of a child before it has been born, some are invasive, meaning that DNA samples are collected directly from the womb, and some are non-invasive, offering no risk to the mother or the unborn child.

Invasive DNA Testing

There are two main types of DNA paternity testing that are considered to be invasive. They are commonly known as Amniocentesis, and Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS).

During an amniocentesis, DNA is collected from the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby, and during a CVS, the DNA is taken from the chorionic villi, located in the wall of the womb. These types of DNA test are considered to carry a high risk, as the DNA sample is taken in close proximity to the unborn child

These tests are undertaken by a medical specialist, and involve the extraction of foetal DNA directly from the womb. Amniocentesis and CVS are often carried out to determine if the child will have any number of genetic conditions, including Down Syndrome or Cystic Fibrosis.

Non-invasive DNA Testing

Personality

For those wanting a gentler, less risky method of testing the paternity of an unborn child, Total DNA Services offers a totally non-invasive prenatal paternity test.

Extracting DNA from a maternal blood sample carries far less risks than either of the invasive paternity testing methods. All that is required is a DNA sample from the mother, and at least one potential father.

This can be done by simply providing a blood sample from the mother, accompanied by a DNA sample from at least one potential father by way of blood, a saliva mouth swab, or nail clippings.

The paternity of your unborn child does not have to be a mystery for 9 months. Accurate results are achievable, non-invasive, and provide peace of mind for all involved. 

It should be noted that there is an additional cost for the testing of more than one potential father.

Please see our range of Paternity Tests Here