Markers of health
EPIGENETICS is an area of science that pertains to genetic changes and how they can affect our health and passed down through generations.
According to Subang Jaya Medical Centre health screening doctor, Dr Rovisna Serini Kaur Jasal, “The genes in our bodies consist of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which contains code sequences that determine the formation of our bodies.
If you consider these sequences as the text in an instruction manual, epigenetics is as if someone highlights different parts of the text with different colours. The colours note which genes are important (made active) and which are unimportant (made passive).”
These highlights are not fixed in the same way a DNA sequence is, as they can change throughout a person’s lifetime depending on internal and external exposure such as environmental factors, heavy alcohol consumption and psychological stress.
“Epigenetic changes can be normal such as when cells differentiate into skin cells, liver cells and brain cells. However, they can also have damaging effects that can lead to diseases such as cancer and reproductive and autoimmune illnesses.”
As there is no definite way to alter gene sequence, people are advised to lead healthy lifestyles, practise suitable diets and do plenty of exercise for generally healthier outcomes.
While research is being done to develop treatments for diseases at epigenetic level, it is still in its early stages. Therefore, it is crucial for people to undergo regular health screenings to track their health status.
People need to be more proactive when it comes to their health, and immunisation is another way to promote good health.
The role of holistic health screenings
World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.
Holistic medical screening is a way to ensure complete wellness in an individual.
As Dr Oh Siew Jeong of Ara Damansara Medical Centre’s health screening department puts it, the three parts of good health – physical health, mental health and social well-being are interconnected.
Dr Oh explains, “Holistic health screening includes a thorough physical examination along with mental health assessment and counselling.
“A number of things are taken into account, including the patient’s family history, lifestyle and mental state – whether he is under stress, anxious or paranoid.”
The first part of the screening is a discussion with the patient to understand his mental health, lifestyle, and social, medical and familial background. The next part is conducting a physical examination according to what has been learnt from the discussion.
Mental health influences how people think, how they behave and their overall outlook on life. Although there is no concrete way to measure how healthy a person’s mind is, discussion with patients can reveal a lot about their mental health.
Social well-being is related to people’s attitude and how they interact with their environment. This is a crucial aspect of health as how people interact with their community and family affect the well-being of society.
Dr Oh says, “After explanation of one’s health status and diagnosis, counselling is essential to let patients know which aspect they need to work on and the lifestyle changes they need to make. This is the hard part, as it requires the patients’ commitment to change and adopt a new practice.”
When required, holistic health screening professionals receive input from a team comprising specialists from various fields so patients can be provided with more comprehensive care.
Get yourself vaccinated
People need to be more proactive when it comes to their health, and immunisation is another way to promote good health.
Unfortunately, despite various efforts to change the outcome, morbidity and mortality rates among adults are still high because of vaccine-preventable diseases.
This is mostly caused by the misconceptions that vaccines are only for children and childhood vaccinations make adults permanently immune to some disease.
Dr Rovisna explains, “Some vaccines received during childhood may wear off after some time, leaving us unprotected.”
She shares that because of the lack of awareness on adult vaccination, vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States kill more adults than traffic accidents, breast cancer and HIV/AIDS.
As Malaysia is not exempt from these problems, Dr Rovisna stresses that all adults should undergo regular health screenings and get the necessary vaccinations to be free of preventable diseases.
– Protecting lives: Dr Rovisna says, “Our nation has successfully protected Malaysians from serious infectious diseases such as smallpox and polio. The world was officially declared free of smallpox in 1980 and Malaysia has eradicated polio.”
– Saving costs: Vaccination can help the government and masses save money. A 2014 study titled Economic Evaluation of the Routine Childhood Immunization Program in the United States, 2009 published in Pediatrics found that from a societal perspective, every dollar spent on vaccination ultimately saves at least US$10 (RM41.90) in treatment.
– Safeguarding the vulnerable:
Vaccinations are not meant to only protect their bearers but also people not suited to receive vaccinations, such as infants and the elderly.
These groups can be aided by herd immunity, where the spread of infectious diseases is slowed or halted because the majority of the community has been vaccinated, making it less likely for the vulnerable to be exposed to serious infectious diseases.
■ For more information, call 03-5639 1212.