We know that our genes hold the clue to our physical appearance as well as our risk status for several diseases. So why are we not using this knowledge to our advantage? Back in 2008, Dr Saleem Mohammed, who had just returned from the US, was surprised to note that there was no genetic assessment available in India to find a person’s current risk potential with respect to his/her DNA. And that sowed the seeds for Xcode.
Fitness alert
“I started Xcode Lifescience (that aims to promote preventive healthcare) in 2010 to fill in this gap and to use my education and training to treat chronic illnesses that have been on the rise recently,” begins Dr Mohammed. He cites a famous example to indicate how preventive risk assessment makes sense. “In 2007, Google’s co-founder, Sergey Brin, found that he had a 50 per cent chance of getting Parkinson’s diseases and used diet and exercise to reduce his risk.” Dr Mohammed points out that unlike other health check-ups “that tell you what you already have” this analysis is one step ahead. “As your genetic data is fixed, it gives an assessment of the diseases you are more prone to. And by following a nutrition and fitness plan like yoga, or a gym schedule, you could offset the likelihood of getting the disease.”
Being proactive
“You can register at our website and courier your saliva sample in the container we provide,” continues Dr Mohammed. “The data is sent to a service provider. They process the markers in your DNA with relation to diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular complications. The health assessment also screens for metabolic markers (if you have a fast metabolic rate). If you go to a dietician for obesity, he might simply request you to cut down the carbohydrates but this test can help you understand whether it’s actually your metabolism rate or existing lifestyle that has caused obesity.” The non-invasive procedure is bound to find many takers and it takes just four to six weeks to get your complete genetic profile. One chronic illness assessment is priced at `7,999 while a combination of all four is priced at `9,999.
Details: Xcode.in
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