Author Archives: dnaserver

Trichomoniasis

What are the symptoms of trichomoniasis?

Posted on by dnaserver

Trichomoniasis is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by infection with a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. Trichomoniasis is often referred to as “trich”. It is transmitted through sexual contact with the penis or vagina of an infected individual (1).

Approximately 70% of individuals infected with trichomoniasis remain asymptomatic, meaning they don’t experience any symptoms of the infection (2). However, asymptomatic individuals can still pass the infection on to any sexual partners.

The severity of symptoms can vary significantly, ranging from just mild irritation to severe inflammation.

The onset of symptoms also varies, with some individuals showing symptoms 5 to 28 days post-exposure, while symptoms occur in others much later, or symptoms may disappear then reappear (2).

Symptoms in males can include:

  • Itching or irritation inside the penis
  • Painful burning sensation after urination or ejaculation
  • Increased urination
  • Abnormal discharge from the penis

Symptoms in females can include:

  • Itching or irritation of the vagina
  • Painful and more frequent urination
  • Endocervical bleeding
  • Abnormal vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor

Trichomoniasis infections can cause discomfort during sexual intercourse, and are associated with an increased risk of contracting other STDs, including a two to three-fold increased risk of HIV (2).

Trichomoniasis during pregnancy also increases the risk of premature rupture of membranes, preterm delivery, and low birth weight (3), and is associated with an increased risk of the transmission of HIV from an HIV-positive mother to her child (4).

References
1. Soper D (2004). “Trichomoniasis: under control or undercontrolled?” Am J Obstet Gynecol. 190(1), 281-90.
2. Trichomoniasis Fact Sheet. CDC. Feb 2020. 
3. 2015 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, Trichomoniasis. CDC. June, 2015. 
4. Gumbo FZ, et al. (2010) Risk factors of HIV vertical transmission in a cohort of women under a PMTCT program at three peri-urban clinics in a resource-poor setting. J Perinatol. 67(2), 717-723. 

Heart Health and Diabetes, Inflammation and Stress

How to keep a healthy heart

Posted on by dnaserver

Heart disease is the most common cause of death in the United States (1) and the second leading cause of death in Canada (2). Approximately 18.2 million adults in the United States have coronary artery disease (the most common type of heart disease), and every year about 655,000 Americans die from heart disease (1).

One of the main reasons for these very high numbers is that people are following lifestyles that are harmful to their heart health and overall health too. Following a heart-healthy lifestyle not only reduces your risk of heart disease but also lowers the risk of other complications including type 2 diabetes (3).

Understand your risks
First up, it is important to understand what risk factors you have and what you can do about them (4). Risk factors for heart disease include:

  • High blood pressure
  • High blood cholesterol (our simple at-home test kits can detect this)
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Having prediabetes or diabetes
  • Smoking
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Family history (may indicate a genetic risk factor)
  • Unhealthy diet
  • Older than 55 for females or older than 45 for males

Of course, it isn’t possible to change some of these risk factors, including age and family history. But simple lifestyle changes can be made to reduce other risk factors.

Get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked
Visit your healthcare professional to measure your blood pressure. It is simple, painless, and very quick. Or purchase a self-measured blood pressure monitor (SMBP) to easily monitor your blood pressure at home (3).

Get a blood test to check your cholesterol levels. This can be through your doctor or simply use one of our at-home heart health tests for an accurate analysis.

Follow a heart-healthy diet
Focus on consuming lots of nutrient-rich foods to obtain plenty of vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients (4). Include these in your diet:

  • Vegetables
  • Fruits
  • Whole grains
  • Fat-free or low-fat dairy products
  • Good protein sources including fish, lean meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes
  • Oils and foods high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (e.g. olive oil, nuts, salmon, avocadoes, tofu)

And try to limit your intake of salt, saturated and trans fats, and sugar. This means less:

  • Added salt (use herbs and spices instead for additional flavoring)
  • Premade sauces, mixes, and instant pouches (they tend to have added salt)
  • Fatty meats (opt for leaner, lower-fat meats instead)
  • Full-fat dairy (switch for lower-fat options)
  • Foods with partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats), such as microwave popcorn, margarine, coffee creamers
  • Sugary foods – swap those sweetened drinks for some water!

Try to keep a healthy weight
Being overweight or obese significantly increases the risk of heart disease, as well as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems, and certain cancers (4). Aim to keep a weight that is within the “healthy weight” body mass index (BMI) range of 18.5 to 24.9. To maintain a healthy weight, it is important to have good nutrition, control your calorie intake, and obtain adequate physical activity on a routine basis.

Manage your stress levels
Stress, particularly long-term, can contribute to increased blood pressure (4). In addition, for many people, the usual response to stress is to do something unhealthy, like overeat, smoke lots, or consume more alcohol (5).

Healthy ways to reduce and control your stress include:

  • Consulting a professional counselor
  • Meditation
  • Physical activity
  • Stress management programs
  • Relaxation techniques

Abstain from smoking
Smoking contributes to a multitude of health problems, including as a major contributor to heart disease.

The chemicals in cigarettes can cause the cells lining the blood vessels to swell and become inflamed, narrowing the blood vessels. This contributes to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, which occur when fat and cholesterol build-up. These cigarette chemicals also cause the blood to thicken and increase the risk of blood clots forming (6).

The more you smoke and the longer you continue to smoke, the higher your risk of heart disease. Quitting smoking immediately reduces your risk of heart disease. Consider joining a support group if you are having trouble quitting smoking on your own.

Keep physically active
Being physically active every day has numerous health benefits, including maintaining a healthy weight, lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol and increasing “good” HDL cholesterol, reducing stress, and lowering blood pressure. All of these are important for a healthy heart.

Manage diabetes
Diabetes and heart disease share many of the same risk factors. In the United States, at least 68% of people over 65 years with diabetes die from heart disease (5). Monitoring and effectively controlling your blood sugar levels is very important for diabetic people to reduce the risk of heart complications as well as other diabetic complications.

Limit alcohol intake
There is evidence that moderate alcohol consumption is beneficial for heart health. However, drinking too much alcohol contributes to many health issues, including obesity, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, irregular heart rate, and cardiovascular disease (5).

Men should not consume more than two alcoholic drinks per day, while women should limit their consumption to one drink per day (5).

Get enough sleep
Good quality sleep is vital for optimal health. It is important for healthy brain function, maintaining a healthy hormone balance, a good immune system, and healing and repairing heart and blood vessels (4).

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends that adults should get 7-9 hours of sleep a day (7). Consistently less sleep can increase the risk of heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke (4).

Take medication as directed
If your doctor has prescribed medication to help control elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, it is important that the medication is taken as directed (3).

References
1. Heart Disease Facts. Heart Disease. CDC (Reviewed Sept 2020)
2. Heart Disease in Canada. Government of Canada (Modified Feb 2017)
3. 7 Strategies to Live a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). CDC. (Reviewed Feb 2021)  
4. Heart-Healthy Living. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. NIH. 
5. Lifestyle Changes for Heart Attack Prevention. Heart Attack. American Heart Association. (Reviewed July 2015) 
6. Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease. CDC Fact Sheet. 
7. Sleep Education. AASM. 

Sexual Health

Are STDs and STIs the same thing?

Posted on by dnaserver

Infections that are usually spread from person to person during vaginal, anal, and oral sex can be referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Although the two terms are often used interchangeably, they do actually have slightly different meanings.

STDs is the term that many people are more familiar with, as it has been used for a lot longer to describe diseases spread through sexual contact. However, more recently there has been increased use of the term STI. This is for two reasons – to improve accuracy and to reduce stigma.

Why is the term STI more accurate?
According to the American Sexual Health Association, the term “disease” refers to a medical problem with obvious signs and symptoms (1). However, many people can be infected with an STI, but not show any symptoms whatsoever (although can still transmit the infection). So, are they really suffering from a “disease”?

As soon as a sexually transmitted bacteria or virus first enters the body and begins multiplying, it is correct to say an “infection” has occurred. But there is usually no initial impact on the normal functioning of the body so no signs of a “disease”.

In many cases, the infection can then progress to a disease, but this doesn’t occur for all STIs. For example, for chlamydia, only an estimated 10% of infected males show symptoms and 5-30% of infected females (2).

For other STIs, it may take months before any symptoms develop. For example, the average time of onset for hepatitis B symptoms is three months after exposure to the virus (3).

The stigma associated with “disease”
STIs were originally referred to as venereal diseases until this term was replaced with the more commonly used STD. Both terms include the word “disease” and both terms can make people shudder! However, using the term “infection” tends to sound less serious to many people; hence STI is not associated with as much negativity.

Reducing the stigma associated with STIs is essential, as it is important that people feel comfortable getting tested and treated for STIs. STIs are very common with an estimated 26 million new STIs in 2018 in the United States, with almost half of new STIs among youth aged 15 – 24 years (4). A lot of infected people do not show any symptoms and are unaware that they have an STI, but can still pass the infection to others. Without treatment, STIs can lead to serious health complications. However, most STIs are easy to test for and can be effectively treated.

References
1. STDs A to Z. American Sexual Health Association.
2. Farley TA, Cohen DA, & Elkins W (2003). Asymptomatic sexually transmitted diseases: the case for screening. Prev Med, 36 (4), 502-509.
3. Hepatitis B Questions and Answers for the Public. CDC. July 28 2020. 
4. Sexually Transmitted Infections Prevalence, Incidence, and Cost Estimates in the United States. CDC. Jan 25 2021.