MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'drudge report'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:49:49 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3039764&cid=t_126611_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdB8uKN8QnFo%2F I caught a lot of flack from my Republican friends for my post blaming the FY2009 deficit on Bush instead of Obama. Well, I must be a glutton for punishment because I can’t resist jumping (albeit reluctantly) to Obama’s defense again. I’m venting my spleen for two reason. First, FoxNews.com posted a story headlined “Obama Shatters Spending Record for First-Year Presidents” and noted that: President Obama has shattered the budget record for first-year presidents — spending nearly double what his predecessor did when he came into office and far exceeding the first-year tabs for any other U.S. president in history. In fiscal 2009 the federal government spent $3.52 trillion …That fiscal year covered the last three-and-a-half months of George W. Bush&#8... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3039764 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:15:53 +0100 3039764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778620&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fre-reviewing-national-academies.html After listening closely to Timothy Aitman of the Imperial College of London, it seems to me that the market for DTC is not in the United States.It is in Jolly 'Ol England. Timothy seems to be very Pro-DTC and Dr. Khoury(CDC), Dr. Ganz (UCLA) and Dr Korn (HARVARD) seem to firmly believe that regulations are needed and that they should be treated as one in the same with "Any other Clinical Laboratory that is offering similar services" Frederick Anderson asks, "How far does this go? Does this go to the interpretation or the testing? Or Both?" It seems to me that this panel is Pro-Regulation.Timothy BTW is just a presenter, not a member. My guess, National Academies will conclude that the regulation of these companies currently is not up to par. In fact, they may conclude it is an area in dire... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778620 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:29:00 +0100 2778620 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442244&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fbargain-basement-consumer-genomics.html Step right on up, come one come all....to the greatest show on earth!Demand is so high, that we've dropped the price 99%That's right, the greatest show on earth, known as the Consumer Genomics Show has reduced its exorbitant cost, just like genome scanning is going to do!!!From 850 USD, which was dropped from over 1000 USD, to now 8 dollars and 76 centsJust use the special coupon code DNA123Yes, that IS recessionary pricing at its best.This Show has "Shown" me its true value.......A sandwich at Cosi......minus the fulfillment of that Chicken Pesto and less the substance....Ahhh, PT would be proud of thee.....See you there suckers!The Sherpa Says: What an unbelievable scam. I am blown away at what our profession has allowed the hucksters in business to get away with....perhaps we are too bu... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442244 Wed, 27 May 2009 19:08:00 +0100 2442244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2415610&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fwolfram-alpha-destroys-23andm-strategic.html One of the good things that I thought existed with 23andMe is that they have a nice agnostic platform which aggregates information on certain SNPs, similar but not the same as SNPedia........Let's face it, any knuckle head can do the social networking. But the hard work was the data aggregation......Either way, what I like about SNPedia and Prometheus is it is sort of free......You do have to dump some data into it......As opposed to paying 399 USD to have access to it and your Million SNPs.But now I have seen the death of these sorts of company models......Really? How?Something called Wolfram Alpha....You can watch it being brought on line Today Friday the 15thYou can watch the screencast into as well....Very simple, semantic web stuff.But what is amazing is the possibility of "Wolframmin... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2415610 Fri, 15 May 2009 12:31:00 +0100 2415610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2390158&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Flots-to-recap-today.html First, in support of Francis Collins' efforts. I am a God believing scientist/physician. Why? Can you explain "spooky science" of photons? No? Are there some things in this world which are a mystery? Yes. I choose God to explain that mystery for me.Because as a human it is beyond my ability to conceive of it. Maybe someday Singularity will "save me" but I doubt it.Second, To explain Germany's move without resorting to "It's designed to make doctors money"Which BTW is the stupidest argument I have ever heard coming from a country with Nationalized Medicine. Doctors make what they make and that's all. Why try to find new revenue streams for someone who's salary is capped? Do they really think this would bring Doctors to their country? Wrong!Here's why they are outlawing this and why comparat... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2390158 Wed, 06 May 2009 12:30:00 +0100 2390158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365310&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fargument-maybe-defused-quacksalvers.html Ok,So what happened in the DTC market was a fractionating of services with different "legal" arguments for what they were doing in attempts to avoid regulations which comes with all sorts of health care practice. At that time I argued that these firms WERE DOING healthcare and should be regulated as such.Astute legal times from Navigenics and 23andME said.....we aren't doing medicine. We are only using algorithms to process results of biospecimens .....Despite receiving cease and desistsThey even said, we don't NEED CLIA because we aren't doing clinical testing.......Yes, in hindsight these arguments did seem silly......they seemed silly to me at the time as well. But then these businesses fell in line, sort of..... Paired with CLIA labs and then we all moved on. But what they didn't do is... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365310 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:42:00 +0100 2365310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2323361&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Ffamily-history-beats-fancy-genetic-test.html I was talking to the president elect of the ACMG the other day about something that could be pretty useful. I told him that even though we disagree about the role of DTC, I laud his efforts towards education.Our teaching point should be plain and simple. The family history is the best addition to the geneticist's history and physical. It separates them from other specialities. It is a help towards clinical judgement and use of testing. This is precisely the thing that will keep geneticists from being replaced by eager self-testers and Online "web apps" to teach patients about their 6 billion base pair report.In genetics we all know of benign variants in genes and hell, even chromosomes. Changes which in the grand scheme of things may never make a difference......that's because clinical alw... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2323361 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:35:00 +0100 2323361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2323370&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fanother-bs-pr-move-congrats-public.html Ok,To Quote Diane Sawyer "Is there any way that they could just report the diseases you can prevent?"That was on Good Morning America today. I swear 23andME's PR firm has a plant in ABC.So let me explain the clinical scenario. A woman walks into the OB's office carrying 30 pages of information on 90 different diseases. The super swamped OB has 15 minutes for the patient. In that time they need to go over sexual history, health history, anticipatory guidance regarding possible pregnancy, maybe perform a pap smear.....and suddenly, the OB gets ambushed with a 30 page hand out......The Patient "Umm I was wondering, if I have a 1.37 Odds Ratio of having a heart attack, could I prevent my baby from having this?"That is the story with 23andMe's new push for samples to sell to third parties......... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2323370 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:01:00 +0100 2323370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2116137&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fi-am-for-medcos-snow.html I was sent this article by a reader and I have to tell you, I see both sides of this argument. Have you heard? Dave Snow, CEO of MEDCO the largest pharmacy-benefits manager has stated emphatically"I have no patience for a doctor who says, ‘I’m above it all, I don’t want to practice cookbook medicine" He says this when doctors use the excuse that algorithms dumb medicine down and are only needed for PAs ans NPs. Snow is pushing for pay for performance and uses physicians' lack of knowledge against them. Recently MEDCO polled 1000 physicians about the CYP 2C9 genotype test approved by the FDA for Warfarin dosing.....guess how many knew about the test? 3....Yes, that is correct......3 physicians. Do you see how this could infuriate someone who is not a doctor or who has trained in the s... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2116137 Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:31:00 +0100 2116137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2006368&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2F4-days-and-crazy-ht-happens.html Did you ever notice how everyone drops out at Thanksgiving, leading to a 4 day weekend? I did, and I dropped out......a little. But I did keep my ear to the ground and found some interesting news I want to share with my wonderful readers!1. JAMA publishes an article which says, poor glucose control in diabetics puts you at risk for heart disease.....but if you have a 9p21 genetic polymorphism it REALLY puts you at risk....Ok, so what does that mean? Well, they studied patients who had cardiac catheterizations. In those who had 50% or greater blockage of a vessel, you were 4 times more likely to have poor diabetic control AND 9p21 polymorphisms. If you just had poorly controlled diabetes......2 times more likely. What is the clinical take away? Is it ok to have poorly controlled diabetes if... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2006368 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:27:00 +0100 2006368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1961189&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fwhen-family-history-falls-short-v1-and.html Andrew Yates at ThinkGene asks a very valid question.....When does family history fall short? I outlined it in my last post but I figure now might be a good time to review one of the instances when family history falls short.....But first I want to clarify. When I say family history, I mean at least a 3 generation examination performed by a trained healthcare professional.......not a meeting over Thanksgiving Dinner.....Those four scenarios I mention include1. Rare chromosomal anomalies that occur in less that 1% of the population2. Rare monogenic disease3. Congenital Anomalies4. Severe TraumaToday let's focus on Rare Monogenic Disease. Why? In the Wall Street Journal today, there is an article about a man who is stricken with EOAD.....Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease.....From the article"N... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1961189 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:05:00 +0100 1961189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1856401&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fsherpas-plan-criminal-acts-for-200.html There is a storm coming. The way clinical genetics services are delivered in academic centers needs to change. Trying to make money through incident services could costs counselors and genetics departments everywhere. Billing through an extender leverages the already busy clinician and helps us see many patients.When a physician needs to bill for an extender they pick an NP or a PA. If they pick a CGC and never see the patient, bill for a clinical consult, and have someone forge their name, then they could be in a little bit of trouble. Especially with Medicare.....Yet that is precisely what is happening in a majority of medical centers in the country. In my unscientific poll, 15 of the top 30 institutions who host cancer genetics clinics are doing this exact thing. I won't point fingers a... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1856401 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:15:00 +0100 1856401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1791727&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fdemocratization-or-capitalization-take.html An old post.......interesting that I seemed to be right on track....In reading through my RSS feeder over a year ago now I stumbled across an interesting video at Testing Hiatus. It comes from the website Master Plan the Movie. This is especially timely given the new shiny 399 USD SNP scan.....which BTW is still more expensive than Coriell's Free Scan!Before you watch this YouTube video I first would like you to take a gander at an excerpt from "The Google Story"Sergey Brin and Larry Page have ambitious long-term plans for Google's expansion into the fields of biology and genetics through the fusion of science, medicine, and technology. . . .One of the most exciting Google projects involves biological and genetic research that could foster important medical and scientific breakthroughs. Th... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1791727 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 08:48:00 +0100 1791727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1625786&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fminority-report-meets-gattaca.html "I don't want to say it is a crime gene, but 1 percent of people have it and scored very high in violence and delinquency," This comes from the sociology professor Guang Guo lead researcher who discovered a novel variant which supposedly puts you at risk of delinquency and crime....His team, which studied only boys, used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a U.S. nationally representative sample of about 20,000 adolescents in grades 7 to 12. The young men in the study are interviewed in person regularly, and some give blood samples.This was a replication of a study published last yearIt is important to note that this set of studies only apply to MALES!!! Others have weak associations in females. So here's the million dollar question...is it valid and can should ... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1625786 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:13:00 +0100 1625786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1537823&cid=t_126611_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Fshame-on-drudge-for-dwarf-pimp-story.html This is such a non story in the broader scheme of things, that there seems no reason for it to be spotlighted on the world's premier news clearing house--the Drudge Report. A 15 year-old girl was apparently being pimped in New York. What a shock! It is awful, but alas, it--and far worse--happen every day.So, why is this particular story about the arrest of an alleged pimp on the Drudge Report? Because the girl is underage? Hardly. The alleged pimp is diminutive. Thus, Drudge's headline screams:" Dwarf Accused Of Pimping Runaway Teenager In NYC...What does the accused's stature have to do with anything? Drudge's headline is a throwback to the old "freak" show mentality that once so oppressed people with disabilities. I thought we'd grown past such nonsense. But apparently Drudge believes su... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1537823 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:13:00 +0100 1537823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1478208&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fmind-your-ps-and-qs.html In another Hairbrained "We're not doing medicine" scheme I point your attention towardsQ-TraitFrom the siteWho shops for genetic tests?Genetic tests are not just for people with concern about disease or fighting crime on TV.These are people who have used QTrait: Families with history of allergies.Women who learned about their future pregnancies.Grandparents wishing to buy DNA tests for grandchildren. QTrait offers over 40 genetic tests. Mix and match tests to suit your needs.(Great....... just like pick and mix candy!!!!)Pregnancy & ChildbirthWe offer genetic tests to determine your propensity for:Codeine metabolism (for men AND women)High or low colostrum production (for women)Risk of preeclampsia (women only)Preterm birth (for men AND women) All 4 tests: $249Nutrition & Allergies... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1478208 Thu, 29 May 2008 18:23:00 +0100 1478208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1466286&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fsorry-to-coriell-stay-of-new-jersey.html Sorry to the attendees at Coriell Yesterday. They were ready to start participating in the Delaware Personalized Medicine Project. I was scheduled to speak on the topic of "Patient Centered Genomic Medicine" Unfortunately, I was stuck on the TurnpikeDon't get in a car wreck in New Jersey. Trust me!I don't know if anyone reads Medical News Today but it is filled with great information and studies. Today, it is reporting something which is of no surprise to me. From the articleA new report on genetic testing from HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality calls for the creation of improved public health surveillance databases and health information technologies to monitor the use of gene-based tests and their impact on patient outcomes.For the government to spend on this testing, they w... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1466286 Fri, 23 May 2008 12:11:00 +0100 1466286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423652&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Flancet-and-sherpa.html After reading an editorial from the Lancet...I think that they may be reading the Sherpa. Let me know what you think. From the Lancet "Genome Wide Open"Interpretations of the effects of human genotypes on disease are today just entering the foothills of a forbidding massif. In particular, a much richer understanding of human genetic variation is needed. However, the relentless ascent of human genomics is coinciding with growing public interest in maintaining health and participating in health-care choices. Doctors will face challenges in guiding their patients through genetic terrain strewn with difficult language and concepts, but should be optimistic that shared enthusiasm will make for surer progress.My Blog?To usher in the new paradigm of personalized medicine we will need to travel a ... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423652 Tue, 06 May 2008 15:34:00 +0100 1423652 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1397722&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Ftimely-release-and-unanimous-vote.html First and foremost, everyone is jumping for joy since the Genetics Information and NonDiscrimination Act passed unanimously today. But, I will not rest until President Bush takes that lovely little pen and signs this into law. I hate to be called a cynic. I am a realist....But President Bush Will sign this into law. Until that, it is just a passed bill. But it is a start.Second, the American College of Medical Geneticists has put out a statement regarding genetic tetsing and patient care. Hsien, points this out over at Eye on DNA. She does a great job of highlighting the issues. Which, once again brings me to the point that diagnosing pre-disease is just as much medicine as diagnosing full on disease.The notable item...minimum requirements for any genetic testing protocol.”1. A knowledge... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1397722 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:49:00 +0100 1397722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1378045&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Ftoo-good-to-miss.html Ok....so I have been reading Hsien's discussions about DTC testing good or evil?This spirited debate is very important. Everyone has concerns about regulations. It is the reason why 23andMe jumped the non-clia certified lab ship (And probably Why Andrew's results were delayed) But it is also why LabCorp has now locked out all other corporate genomic companies for now....This debate is going to boil down simply to this...I posted yesterday and maintain this position"Predisposition is Pre-Disease". This is the case with BRCA testing, it is the case with some robust SNPs. The ICD10 codes will catch up with this....If it is not the case (i.e. for entertainment purposes only, NO HEALTH IMPLICATIONS) then they don't need medical regulation.So I ask, are the SNPs which are being tested for and re... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1378045 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:34:00 +0100 1378045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1373796&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fgenetic-over-regulation-simple-answer.html Why all the worry over regulations?I was washing the dishes this morning when it finally hit me. With all of this concern coming from Washington D.C. and all the entrepreneurs (like myself) pushing something to market for "brand recognition" i.e. the Mayo or Coca Cola....face it....there is a Branding Element. Well, while we are now moving through MBA or MD 101 what hit was the answer....You may be asking yourself "What is the question?" But I am here to tell you that the question doesn't matter as much as the answer does. But if you must know....the question is "What is disease?" We have all these people talking about the wellness industry, but we have to be serious with ourselves. There are a whole lot of well people walking around with LDL's that are over 160 (BTW that is pretty high). ... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1373796 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:34:00 +0100 1373796 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1356360&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fover-regulation.html Today I wanted to focus some attention on the issues of regulation and over-regulation. This is super important now that Wired has called this "business" an Industry. (Mr Goetz, next time feel free to call me when looking for quips.) When writing any good business plan one should obviously do a risk analysis and a SWOT analysis. If this is not done there likely will be failure to identify perceived threats to your business or business model. Why is the Sherpa talking about business? Because, Genomic Medicine is being driven by business. Why? Because academia has failed to take the bull by the horns. Why? They are comfortable in their own realm. This is a stretch for them. I often like to blame this on the fact that Geneticists aren't usually trained in Internal Medicine (Most are Pediatric... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1356360 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:52:00 +0100 1356360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1354200&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fdvpmp-and-me.html So today I want to ask all of you a question. Is there a conflict of interests if I participate in the Delaware Valley Personalized Medicine Project and sit on its Informed Cohort Board? I have been giving this some thought lately....This is a wonderful project with some very secure privacy measures akin to Swiss Banking. Unlike other Direct To Consumer projects this is Funded. Unlike others we will be evaluating on a rolling basis and releasing data that is reviewed by our board. I would love to participate.So I ask.....would it be a conflict if I reviewed the data AND had submitted a sample?If I paid for the 23andME or deCodeMe would I have reviewed my OWN data. You are damned right I would. So what makes this different? I would be reviewing and commenting on others' data too. The import... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1354200 Sun, 06 Apr 2008 17:50:00 +0100 1354200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1344600&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fclia-whats-that.html You gotta love the shenanigans of these supposed non-clinical SNP Chip testing companies.....Yes, I have decided to call them what they are. They are not Genome Testing companies, they are SNP chip testing companies and guess what? Linda and Anne ran into a buzz saw or maybe revealed their true intentions the other day. Thanks to Daniel over at Genetic Future for pointing this "D'Oh" out......It turns out that the lab where they had been testing YOUR DNA....Well, not really because when you sent it to them it became THEIR DNA. It turns out that they are not CLIA certified. What is CLIA?From the WebsiteBackgroundCongress passed the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) in 1988 establishing quality standards for all laboratory testing to ensure the accuracy, reliability and timel... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1344600 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:31:00 +0100 1344600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1331523&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fi-lost-my-train.html So last week I asked the question. "Where would we be if we had a 1000 USD genome by next year?"....But more importantly I asked "Who would lose if we had a 1000 USD genome by next year?"So who would lose?I am having a hard time coming up with these. I think they tend to breakdown into several groups 1) The group who benefits from not being able to target medicines and diagnoses.2) The group who would is scared to know what the secret of the genome holds3) The group not nimble enough to change their practices and adopt new technologies4) The group whose genomes hold some horrible secrets and disadvantages that have previously gone undetected5) Those who I have left out, the unknown unknownsSo let's address one at a timeFirst up.....Who benefits from trial and error medicine? Who benefits f... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1331523 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:07:00 +0100 1331523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1321250&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fmatch-day-for-doctorshooray-not.html Imagine training extremely hard for 4 years....AFTER college...only to find that you will have to train for another 3 or for before you ever will be able to say you are a board certified doctor....Now imagine that you may not get your first or second or even third choice as to where you will train for your last 3 to 4. Every year medical students in their last year go from state to state interviewng for positions to train in the specialty of their choice. This trek last approximately 4 months from November to March. In Late February the medical students and the residency directors make their "wish list" much like an NFL Draft list...looking for their next All Star Doctor. This process culminates in Match Day...a day when all the US medical students open up an envelope and find out where th... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1321250 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:27:00 +0100 1321250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1303448&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fmaybe-not-99-similar-suracell-not-so.html Today I want to post on several things that you may have been reading about. The first of these is the twin studies on copy number variation and methylation. Huh? I said "copy Number Variation and Methylation" What are these? I thought everything was about SNPs? I am certain you must be asking yourself these questions. Well, fear not. Unfortunately methylation and copy number variation do not have millions of dollars, corporate giants, VC or PR firms pushing their importance....But these unique changes make us probably on the lines on 90% similarity. Which, when you look at each other makes a little bit more sense. Right? Just like the fact that 18k genes encode our complex organism. How in the heck does that happen? Well I am here to tell you that SNPs are just the first chapters of our g... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1303448 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:51:00 +0100 1303448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1276105&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fnew-england-journal-prostate-cancer-and.html This study Blows mere family history out of the water. This study, dubbed CAPS, evaluated Prostate Cancer in Sweden. The analysis of SNPs revealed 5 SNPs which had significant risk implicated...Here's the kicker, if a person has 4 SNPs and Family History, then your Odds Ratio for Having Prostate Cancer is.....get this 9.46 compared to the men who had none of these factors. Take That PSA and Digital Rectal Exam!Now where does this study have shortcomings?1. It is retrospective and this is subject to bias, therefore needing prospective analysis before we will use it.2. This population is a relatively homogeneous population that breeds nationally3. Only one of the SNPs has an identifiable gene. Without a gene, we can only guess what role the SNP may play let alone devise a medication or treat... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1276105 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 01:30:00 +0100 1276105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1247999&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fshaking-chills-houston-texas-and-1000.html I couldn't figure out whether I was hallucinating from the fevers or if the email I received from a reader was correct. He said "Could you explain this to me, from 350k now to 1k? How could this be"He was of course speaking about the PacBio (Like Pacific Sunwear/PacSun) technology and press release that Reuters put out there. Man why can't I get on Reuters at the drop of a hat?From the release" A California company predicts it will soon be able to sequence an entire human gene map in four minutes, for just $1,000.""It will change health care forever if it works," Hugh Martin, the chief executive officer of the company, said in a telephone interview on MondayMartin thinks Pacific Biosciences' new technology will be able to get a human genome done in about 4 minutes.Yes, my wonderful readers... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1247999 Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:46:00 +0100 1247999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1226839&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fbe-ready-ad-and-pat-sajak.html That's right I saw the Be Ready Ad in between Vanna and Pat. The Sherpa is a "Wheel Watcher" I am always amazed with people. My mother-in-law was sitting with me and she said "Should I get this test?" I said "Wha???" She said, "Will it let me skip mammograms?" I honestly was blown away by this. Especially because she is a nurse. If you are a nurse, you should be health literate. Unfortunately, she is not genetics literate. I then went to give her my counseling shtick and tell her that no one in her family has breast/ovarian cancer. "So why does that lower my risk?" she asked? This is why Ellen Matloff has her website. I am certain that this testing has identified many people not normally thought to be at risk because of limited family structure i.e. all men relatives (But they still could ... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1226839 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:59:00 +0100 1226839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1222422&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fpolls-closed-myriad-tallies-up-and-we.html First I would like to thank everyone who voted on this very non-scientific poll. I extended the voting over a month, thousands of visitors later, we have our results.What Personal Genomics Company is most Likely to be sued?23 and Me - 70%Navigenics - 15%DeCode - 10%Knome - 3%You may be saying "Hey That's Only 98%" I say, "exactly" That's why it's not scientific. For all who may be reading, including my daily friends from Mountain View (that's right, everday)Who exactly will be doing the suing? Maybe an Attorney General? If you are Myriad then that is the case. I prevously posted about this dangerous predicament these genomic companies could be in and the reposted last week about it.As for Myriad, expect more BRACAnalysis ads to be coming. The WSJ reports that the Myriad ad campaign in the ... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1222422 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:52:00 +0100 1222422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1143509&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fnavigenics-who-was-that.html So after the New England Journal of Medicine has given Personal Genome Sequencing the thumbs down, I ask you...."What will happen to these personal genome companies?"I have several ideas....1. They all morph into non-health related information tools. Every bell and whistle that can be marketed that will not face the scrutiny of physicians will come out of the wood works. 2. They will begin to say "The medical field has no sense of what the promise of genomic medicine is" They will attack physicians' lack of genomic knowledge. This is the tactic which nutraceutical companies use. The 'Ol "We have a secret....most physicians don't know or won't share......because they want you to have disease"3. They will disappear, like the dinosaurs. A neat phenomenon that gave us something to write about ... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1143509 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:10:00 +0100 1143509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1097306&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fnot-again-omg-uk.html In another amazing step towards eugenics. Britain has awarded a couple the right to prenatal test for familial hypercholesterolemia. This way they can then terminate a pregnancy that may results in a child plagued with the disease of high cholesterol and heart attacks. In the TimesFH occurs in two forms. The more common version, heterozygous FH, affects 1 in 500 people. It is caused by a single mutated gene, which raises cholesterol and thus the risk of hardened arteries, heart disease and stroke. It can usually be managed with statin drugs and diet.Britain’s first licence to test embryos for FH will be awarded next week to Paul Serhal, of University College Hospital in London, by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).Its decision breaks new ground because it permits Mr... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1097306 Sun, 16 Dec 2007 00:36:00 +0100 1097306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1097307&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Feducation-initiatives.html I have been sick with a nasty virus this week. Vomiting has been the order of the day....yuck :(Because of this, I will keep this post extremely short but useful. The SACGHS meeting was held last month and I think it was huge. There are a lot of good webcasts that are a must watch.The rate limiting step of personalized medicine is physician uptake, and the rate limiting step in uptake is education. The SACGHS meeting on the 20th of November was huge reviewing efforts and ideas for educationOverview of SessionBarbara Burns McGrath, R.N., Ph.D. Research Associate Professor at the University of Washington School of Nursing. She reviews nicely the outline for the day and gives us a guideline.Please check out the lecture given by the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genet... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1097307 Fri, 14 Dec 2007 22:36:00 +0100 1097307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=885510&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fmedia-hype-in-genetics-blame.html This study indicates that the journalist "hype" was actually in agreement with the original source's "hype". The story entitled "How geneticists can help reporters to get their story right" is also covered at Uncommon GroundScientists have a social responsibility to talk knowledgeably with reporters, and to do so is in the interest of science in an era when public funding and control over science is significant. However, some scientists avoid this task because it is onerous. At a minimum, it requires the same level of preparation that one would give to a platform presentation at a scientific conference. Such time and care are warranted, because the reach of the reporter is larger than that of the academic conference.Well, I wonder if when pressed for a deadline, the journalist will rely on... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=885510 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:14:00 +0100 885510 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=791513&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fpersonalized-medicinewhat-about.html A recent study published and talked about everywhere around the web indicates that our lifestyle matters. If we would just follow these five things, we would save thousands of lives.......How will we carry out personalized medicine if we cannot follow simple preventative measures.Here's what the Partnership for Prevention Suggests:The biggest impact would be saving 45,000 lives by encouraging more adults to take a daily low dose of aspirin to prevent heart disease, said the report which was sponsored by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the WellPoint Foundation.......Other measures that would save tens of thousands more American lives every year include more adults getting flu shots 45,000 lives saved from more adults taking a daily l... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=791513 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 01:20:00 +0100 791513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=691380&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fharvard-honoring-sherpa.html Today I was asked to be on the faculty of Harvard's famous Continuing Medical Education conference in the Genetic Basis of Adult Disease. I am extremely honored to be a part of this distinguished faculty. This year's conference will be held October 12-14th. The last conference topics and website are still up and I am certain the new one will be shortly. I highly recommend it for all physicians looking to become Sherpas or at least to stay up with the breakneck pace of genetic discovery in medicine. Several topics include:Genetic Causes of Heart Failure Genetics of Lipid Disorders Genetics of Cardiovascular Disease Genetics of Common Psychiatric DiagnosesGenetics, Lung Cancer and Treatment Responses Genetics of Gastro-Intestinal Diseases Barriers to the collection and use of the Family Heal... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=691380 Sat, 23 Jun 2007 01:02:00 +0100 691380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=687118&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fjune-comes-crashing-in.html I am sorry it has been 2 days since my last post. Things have gotten crazy recently. I started with the launch of my personalized medicine practice. We are busy dotting the i's and crossing the t's. We have a truly "flat" organization and are able to grow at a moment's notice. This is great news for the patients! Several things are happening in this week and I want to share all of them with you.My wife, daughter and myself were involved in a car crash. I want to remind everyone to please wear your seat belts. If you have children please make sure they are in the appropriate car seat for their age. These simple things allowed us to walk away unharmed. Sometimes it is all about the prevention.At Brown University there is a conference being held, Frontiers of Medicine. My team from Helix Heal... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=687118 Sun, 03 Jun 2007 12:08:00 +0100 687118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=687128&cid=t_126611_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fpersonalized-medicine-and-prostate.html This study shows the heritability of prostate cancer, and more importantly aggressive prostate cancer. Perhaps by identifying those with the marker, then we can go after the tumor more aggressively as there are several ways to treat this Cancer based on "non-molecular" staging. (Source: Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You) Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=687128 Tue, 22 May 2007 11:34:00 +0100 687128