Introducing Breakthrough Genetic Assessment for Customized Intervention The monumental accomplishment of the Human Genome Project, with its decoding of nearly 40,000 genes in the human body, has opened up an entirely new spectrum of knowledge, one offering a tremendous potential for improving our health and well-being.   Genovations™ is the advent of a truly personalized healthcare approach that harnesses this powerful new knowledge. It allows a physician to evaluate each patient’s unique genetic predispositions, then develop and implement a carefully targeted, customized intervention plan even before pre-disease imbalances are manifest. Virtually all of the most pervasive, disabling, and deadly degenerative diseases of our time, including heart disease, adult-onset diabetes, cancer, and senile dementia, are believed to develop from an ongoing interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Genovations™ profiles assess genetic variations whose expression is influenced by modifiable factors like toxic exposure, lifestyle habits, diet, supplement regimens, and biochemical imbalances. The SNPs in each test are carefully selected based on their relatively high prevalence in the general population, their clinical relevance to each health condition, and most importantly, their innate ability to be influenced by preventive interventions. Physicians will be able to specifically evaluate the effectiveness of therapy on the expression of each patient’s genetic predisposition by using specialized follow-up physiological assessments. By evaluating a carefully selected group of genetic variants in a patient, each Genovations™ profile provides a previously unseen "glimpse" into that person’s potential health future, empowering the physician to modify the expression of disease years before a condition begins to develop. This allows the physician to: Identify "hidden" gene mutations that may promote chronic disease Gain earlier advanced warning of disease susceptibility in each patient Determine cumulative risk associated with specific, easily identified mutations Intervene much earlier in the pre-disease state Modify gene expression through more precise, targeted, individualized interventions Identify key target areas on which to focus follow-up Monitor therapeutic effectiveness of intervention strategies with laboratory testing Armed with this new clinical insight, physicians can gain a deeper understanding of the interactive disease process, to intervene more quickly, confidently, and effectively. In primary care practice, Genovations™ will significantly improve healthcare interventions for patients in three major areas: Predictive Assessment Genetic testing provides the foundation for more effective, timely, and customized preventive strategies based on each patient’s unique genetic predisposition. This provides all health-conscious patients with the expanded insight they need to adopt more effective and focused risk-minimizing strategies to improve and protect their health. Familial Associations Patients with family history of a certain disease can learn if they have inherited a genetic predisposition for this condition and, if so, what they can specifically do to "break the pattern" and better prevent it. Challenging Patients Genetic testing provides insight into individual genetic variations that can help explain why certain patients may not be responding to clinical interventions that normally produce favorable outcomes. With this breakthrough genetic assessment for customized intervention, physicians will effectively be able to provide a level of precise, personalized medicine never before possible. ©2002 Genovations™, a product of Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory