Emerging Areas of Human Health: Sickle Cell Disease
Family history is among the strongest factors to consider when it comes to the development of various diseases. A person inherits sets of genes from each parent and socioeconomic and a vast array of cultural experiences from their family. Therefore, understanding family history is critical as it helps predict various health conditions and identify risk factors (Brandes et al., 2022).
The family genes contribute both directly and indirectly to the pathogenesis of the disease (Jesus et al., 2018). This paper will further discuss other factors that contribute to the emergence of human health, such as nutritional influence on the cause of sickle cell disease and the impact of genetics on policy issues.
How Genetics Can Influence Policy Issues
There are four critical areas that the genetic revolution has identified as critical when it comes to society and health care policy, which include regulation and standardization of genetic tests, genetic privacy, gene patenting, and education (Brandes et al., 2022).
Regarding policy issues, governments are responsible for ensuring that all these aspects are adequately advanced to guarantee that they work together to improve the healthcare system. For instance, it is critical to ensure stringent control of individual health records to minimize risks of misuse. When it comes to implementing genetic testing, it is also critical to thoroughly evaluate the clinical settings to guarantee they are satisfied with genetic testing. The issue of genetics is critical when it comes to policies and their implementation (Barton-Gooden et al., 2019).
Health and society professionals must also be educated on the scope of genetic testing based on the current health care components. Genetics has also facilitated the emergence of challenging policy issues and opportunities that aim at improving current and future human health concerns (Hardy et al., 2018). The question of patient anonymity has come up again due to genetic testing. Only state-enforced laws unique to each state and primarily deal with medical records can be considered patient privacy laws.
The use of genetic and molecular materials in basic and clinical research is replacing direct human participation, nonetheless, due to the development of genetic technology. The topic of testing regulation and standardization is brought up by the development of novel and existing genetic tests. Not every test will be helpful for evaluation. Due to the multifactorial nature of many ailments and the potential involvement of several genes, different tests may exist for the same disorder. Before being used in clinical settings, new tests must first demonstrate their reliability and validity.
Discuss Any Nutritional Influence on the Cause of This Disease
The mother and the father must have one copy of the sickle cell gene, commonly known as the sickle cell trait, and pass both of the child’s copies of the changed version. Crowder et al. (2018) state that a child will inherit the sickle cell trait if only one parent has the sickle cell gene. Sickle cell anemia, although a genetic condition, is often associated with poor appetite and vitamin D deficiency (Bulgin et al.., 2018).
Both nutritional issues can lead to delayed development and growth in children, which eventually leads to a higher need for certain nutrients, including proteins and calories in the body. Therefore, its lack of sufficient vitamin D and loss of appetite creates an opportunity to develop the disease. As Barton-Gooden et al. (2019) indicate, calcium and vitamin D aid in a child’s development of strong bones.
According to Jesus et al. (2018), bone strength can be improved by drinking milk that has been supplemented with vitamin D and spending enough time outdoors being active. Children with darker complexion may have a higher risk of having inadequate vitamin D levels.
Consult your child’s doctor about vitamin D requirements and whether supplements are necessary. Therefore, to avoid or minimize disease development risks, it is critical to implement strategic nutritional plans to guarantee enhanced health stability. For instance, eating foods rich in calcium ensures that the child’s bones are strong (Hardy et al., 2018).
Therefore, it is critical to test for vitamin D and supplementations with healthcare providers to guarantee that the body has a sufficient supply of the right vitamin D (Crowder et al., 2018). Additionally, one can also get a sufficient supply of vitamin D from sun exposure, fortified milk, fatty fish, and some cereals that provide the body with sufficient vitamins.
Discuss The Process Of Nutritional Assessment And Counseling Related To Health Prevention, Screening, Diagnostics, Prognostics, And Treatment Selection. And Monitoring Treatment Effectiveness
An easy way of assessing the nutritional process is through the ABCD process Anthropometric, Biochemical, Clinical, and Dietary. Where anthropometry refers to the measurement of the weight, size, and proportions of the body (Bulgin et al.., 2018). The clinical setting measures involve weight, height, and head circumference for the identification of abnormal growth patterns (Jesus et al., 2018).
Laboratory measurements of nutrients or other chemicals in stool, blood, and urine constitute the biochemical component of nutritional assessment (Barton-Gooden et al., 2019). Malnutrition can be identified and its severity assessed using a physical examination and a thorough medical history. For instance, tooth enamel loss may signal bulimia by signaling frequent vomiting. A lack of protein can be visually observed by the presence or absence of appropriate muscle tone (Hardy et al., 2018).
Examining a patient’s medical records and discussions with them may reveal previous operations, prescription interactions, and drug or alcohol usage (Crowder et al., 2018). All are involved in establishing nutritional status and creating a treatment plan to advance health.
Discuss the Prevalence Rates, Testing, Treatment, and Prognosis As They Relate To Human Nutrition
Supporting nutritional education and improving diets is an effective way of avoiding malnutrition without exaggerating costs. However, the issue of malnutrition cannot only be focused on dietary factors but on multiple risk factors that affect malnutrition, including medical, physical, and social factors (Bulgin et al.., 2018). There is also a need to include the socioeconomic issues in tackling nutrition issues as an integral part of the solution to achieve comprehensive support and nutrient adequate healthy aging (Brandes et al., 2022).
Boosting the number of solid life years by addressing deficient supplement status to handle unhealthiness in everybody and unambiguous gamble bunches is a venture that will pay off; however, it requires a thorough public activity plan in every country.
Conclusion
People with genetic disorders have a higher risk of experiencing nutritional crises due to the specific conditions and challenges. The variation of genes is often linked to individual food’s likes and dislikes, which in turn affects the nutritional intake from respective foods.
Single genes often affect a person’s ability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). There are multiple genetic areas that have influenced human nutrition due to methodology flaws. Regardless of nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics improvements, there is still a need to base genetic testing directly on diet, guarantee nutritional improvement, and facilitate gene stability.
References
Barton-Gooden, A., Grindley, M., Knight-Madden, J., & Asnani, M. (2019). Gender influences on the health of adolescents with sickle cell disease. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 24(4), 470-480. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2018.1533985
Bulgin, D., Tanabe, P., & Jenerette, C. (2018). Stigma of sickle cell disease: A systematic review. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 39(8), 675-686. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2018.1443530
Brandes, N., Weissbrod, O., & Linial, M. (2022). Open problems in human trait genetics. Genome Biology, 23(1), 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-022-02697-9
Crowder, S. L., Douglas, K. G., Yanina Pepino, M., Sarma, K. P., & Arthur, A. E. (2018). Nutrition impact symptoms and associated outcomes in post-chemoradiotherapy head and neck cancer survivors: a systematic review. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 12(4), 479-494. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-018-0687-7
Hardy, S. J., Bills, S. E., Wise, S. M., & Hardy, K. K. (2018). Cognitive abilities moderate the effect of disease severity on health-related quality of life in pediatric sickle cell disease. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 43(8), 882-894. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsy019
Jesus, A. C. D. S. D., Konstantyner, T., Lôbo, I. K. V., & Braga, J. A. P. (2018). Socioeconomic and nutritional characteristics of children and adolescents with sickle cell anemia: a systematic review. Revista Paulista de Pediatria, 36, 491-499.
Emerging Areas of Human Health: Sickle Cell Disease Instructions
With the increase in knowledge around genetic issues, it is important that all health care providers are prepared to have thorough genetic-based discussions now with their patients. In this assignment, you will synthesize your knowledge into a client case with a real or potential genetic health-related illness.
Write a paper (1,000-1,250 words) addressing a client case that might benefit from the process of genetic counseling. Describe the reason for the genetic counseling based on the findings from your completion of the family health portrait. Discuss the possible reactions the patient may have to your counseling and how to avoid negative reactions. Imagine this assignment as if you are giving this counseling to a patient and be sure to discuss the following:
1. Health
2. Prevention
3. Screening
4. Diagnostics
5. Prognostics
6. Selection of treatment
7. Monitoring of treatment effectiveness
Examine how genetics can influence policy issues.
Discuss any nutritional influences for the cause of this disease.
Discuss the process of nutritional assessment and counseling as it relates to health, prevention, screening, diagnostics, prognostics, selection of treatment, and monitoring of treatment effectiveness.
Discuss the prevalence rates, testing, treatment, and prognosis as they relate to human nutrition.