Slashdot Mirror
One In 100 Carry Mutation For Heart Disease
mmmscience brings us news of a new study, published in Nature Genetics by an international team of scientists, that tells a scary story: globally, 1% of the population carry a gene mutation that is almost guaranteed to lead to some form of heart problems. On the Indian subcontinent, the prevalence is 4%. The mutation is a 25-letter deletion of DNA data on the heart protein gene MYBPC3, believed to have arisen in India 30,000 years ago. The researchers say that the mutation wasn't selected out of the population because its effects don't occur until after the childbearing years. The article mentions a prediction that "by 2010 India's population will suffer approximately 60% of the world's heart disease."
Or better yet, childhood diagnosis with this particular condition would merit lifetime treatment with statins and aggressive control of other modifying factors. Prevent these kids from smoking, get them in a daily exercise habit, teach them a good diet, and monitor and aggressively treat for diabetes and hypertension if/when they appear. Except for the genetic test itself, the rest of that is cheaper than spit. Even in the US, the real cost of the blood tests and medicines would be less than $200 annually. Add two NP visits and its maybe $400 annually. The cost in India would obviously be even cheaper.
However what is expensive is the political will to prevent smoking in children. Its also politically expensive to have cheap and effective public health prevention programs. Heaven forbid you give medicines or pap smears to people who don't have insurance or money.... why.... it.... would be an ENTITLEMENT!
Shudder! Aiiigh! No, not that!
Wait, did that sound bitter?
Can you mod parent complete utter fucking douchebag?
the thing i hate about these nonsense genetic claims, is that there is a 100% probability you are going to die of something. so claiming 60% of people will die of heart disease (because heart failure and cancer are what take out most of our population) is like pronouncing you have discovered people grow old and die. what would be more accurate, but you will never see them do it, is to tell us who will die a PREMATURE death due to heart disease. the reason they won't do it is there is far more to what kills you than genetics and admitting as much might see grant money going else where.
If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
Let me give you two bits of advice, Sport:
1) If you are going into medicine for the money and are pre-med now, you are basically going to end up in the same situation that all those kids coming out of Harvard with MBAs expecting to make millions on Wall Street. Once you finish 4 years of med school, three of IM residency, and 2 of Cards fellowship, the well will have dried up significantly for specialists who don't do fee for service (which few people are for a cath and stent). Have you considered plastics?
2) If you insist on persisting with your career plans, take Spanish now. You're going to be amazed how being bilingual in a useful language in the US sells on your med school and residency application. Because while you are going to be making less money, you are going to have a lot more Spanish speaking patients when you get out. Maybe if you grow a sense of moral responsibility to your fellow men (which should be a pre-rec for med school but sadly isn't) you'll be glad you took my advice and can converse with your patients in their native language in a culturally competent way.
Or just go into plastics.
Good luck. Wishing you the best.
- Zav - Imagine a Beowulf cluster of insensitive clods...
Don't worry about carrying a 1% gene. Carrying a BigMac bag is far more likely to lead to heart attacks than genetics.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
Wait until the US has some sort of universal health care, and immigration from India is outlawed as a "cost cutting measure".
... and that's when the C.H.U.D.'s came at me.
Honestly, even as a very specialized surgeon, if I wanted to make money, I could have done much better on Wall St. My brother who is an economist, has done quite well, and works much less than I.
The job has sooo many hassles, and stress that if you don't love what you're doing, then it's not worth it.
Seriously.
Honestly, I love my fucking job, and would still do it, even if I won the lottery. Just would work less than 50 hours a week, instead of 80.
..........FULL STOP.
Here's your loophole:
The Act prohibits group health plans and health insurers from denying coverage to a healthy individual or charging that person higher premiums based solely on a genetic predisposition to developing a disease in the future.
"we noticed you paid for a few more tests recently, and have been sick more often"
there go your rates, or "im sorry your coverage is denied"
WOW.. I haven't seen a loophole this big for abuse since the anti-circumvention clause of the DMCA
VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!