Nutritional status: copper deficiency
Nutritional status: copper deficiency
Did you know that copper is an essential trace mineral present in all tissues? It works with iron to help the body form red blood cells. It also helps keep the blood vessels, nerves, immune system and bones healthy while also aiding in iron absorption. In rare situations, copper deficiency can occur and lead to anaemia and osteoporosis.
Symptoms of copper deficiency include:
- Fatigue & weakness as cells use copper to generate ATP, the body’s main source of energy. This means that copper deficiency could affect your energy levels.
- Frequent sickness as copper plays an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system.
- Weak and brittle bones as copper is involved in the processes that create cross-links inside your bones. These cross-links ensure bones are healthy and strong.
- Problems with memory and learning as copper plays an important role in brain function and development.
Sensitivity to cold as copper, along with minerals like zinc, help maintain optimal thyroid gland function. Low thyroid levels can make you feel colder more easily.
There are many foods that are high in copper. These include leafy greens, including turnip, greens, spinach, kale and mustard greens. Asparagus and summer squash are two other excellent sources of copper while legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds are also good sources of the substance.
Randox Reagents, RX and QC are helping to diagnose copper deficiency at the earliest possible stage. The Randox copper assay is used to measure the levels of copper in the blood in order to determine copper toxicity. Combining this with the Randox zinc assay can aid in identifying the cause of liver damage in a patient, leading to correct treatment and recovery.
Find out more about how Randox is helping to diagnose nutritional status and deficiencies here: https://www.randox.com/nutritional-status/
The Issues Surrounding Drug Residues in the Global Food Market
The potential presence of drug residue contaminants in food products destined for human consumption is an increasingly popular topic of conversation in the industry but what are the main challenges facing the industry to tackle this potential issue?
Drug residue contaminants in food products is a discussion that involves the global community but each individual country or trade bloc has their own protocols and regulations relating to the control and monitoring of residues. The different legislations are designed to protect the general public as well as the food industry interests in their individual countries. Any business that wishes to sell their products within other countries or regions must meet their legislative requirements relating to drug residues. These differences in regulations have increased the need for increased dialogue on the issue as well as the implementation of effective monitoring systems.
The industry must deal with the potential of residues from antibiotics and growth promoting hormones entering the food chain. This will involve ensuring correct dosage per animal and also adhering to withdrawal periods set for their region. The second issue the industry faces is the stigma received from the misuse of these antibiotics and growth promoting hormones.
While there is a potential for misuse it should always be noted that a producer’s main concern should always be animal health, which leads to a quality end product. The use of antibiotics is to ensure the health of the animal and to reduce the potential knock on effect of untreated diseases which could create a downturn on yield. Growth promoting hormones are used to increase this yield also but should never be done so at the expense of a safe end product.
Residues from particular drugs in food produce can have serious implications for human health. As such many countries have set Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) or tolerances for these residues in food. The Maximum Residue Limit is the maximum concentration of a residue that can be present in a product from an animal or animal by product intended for the food supply. These MRLs mean that it is required by law in the enforcing countries that any product in the food chain cannot contain residue levels that are harmful to human health above these limits.
There has been controversy over measures to tackle drug residues in foods as there are no internationally accepted standards for many drugs. Ractopamine in particular has caused trade disputes as it is permitted in food production in some countries like the US & Canada, but the European Union, China, Taiwan and over 100 other countries have banned its use.
The real challenge the food industry faces is ensuring their testing methods are effective and reliable to ensure the safety of a variety of end products. To name a few of these diverse products we can look at the dairy, meat, seafood, feed and honey markets.
Dairy Market
The dairy industry is under constant scrutiny and pressure to constantly produce high volumes of milk whilst maintaining a superior standard of quality in their dairy products. As part of the production process various contaminants are administered to cattle in an effort to systematically treat various infectious diseases and maintain a healthy herd. A direct consequence of this is the requirement of routine monitoring and testing within farms and dairy processors to ensure that the levels of contaminants in milk are within legal regulations not exceeding Maximum Residue Limits and that unauthorised substances are not found at any level in milk.
Testing can be conducted at several points during the production process. Firstly, farm level testing can be carried out to screen milk from cows that have been separated from the herd and undergone antibiotic treatment. Secondly, the dairy processor is required to conduct testing both onsite taking samples from tankers and retrospective testing as a method of internal surveillance to ensure the milk supplied from several farms is within global regulatory limits. Thirdly, retailers can test the processed milk end product to guarantee the milk is antibiotic free before it’s added to supermarket shelves for consumers.
Meat Market
Global meat production and consumption have increased rapidly in recent decades. Worldwide meat production has tripled over the last four decades and increased 20 percent in just the last 10 years. Meanwhile, industrial countries are consuming growing amounts of meat, nearly double the quantity in developing countries. Mass quantities of antibiotics are used on livestock to reduce the impact of disease, contributing to antibiotic resistance in animals and humans alike. Worldwide, 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in 2009 were used on livestock and poultry, compared to only 20 percent used for human illnesses.
Growth promoters, which are tested for under the NRCP, are hormonal and antibiotic substances that may be used in food producing animals for growth promotion in livestock animals thus increasing the production of muscle meat and the reduction of fat. The type of growth promoter used is dependent on the animal species and mode of rearing with steroid growth promoters used for beef cattle and antibiotic growth promoters, which are usually added to feedstuffs, such as the coccidiostats used in the poultry industry and chlortetracycline used in the porcine industry. The rapid speed of meat production calls for the need to test for drug residues frequently to prevent them from ending up in the food chain.
Seafood Market
The global aquaculture industry has grown steadily over the past five decades, increasing at an average rate of 3.2%. However, this growth has come at a cost, with the industry facing many new challenges. Farmed seafood is often treated with medicated feeds which contain antibiotics such as leucomalachite green and nitrofurans for example to prevent from disease spreading, they are also exposed to other harmful residues used to treat algae etc. within the ‘pens’ where they are kept.
The FAO (2012) reported that 38% of fish produced globally is exported, highlighting the imbalances in regional supply and the changing tastes of the global consumer. This increased level of exporting and importing shows the importance of drug residue screening within the global aquaculture industry. This increased level of exporting and importing shows the importance of drug residue screening within the global aquaculture industry.
Feed Market
The global animal feed processing market is estimated at US$21.61 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach US$ 26.62 Billion by 2023. The market is driven by factors such as the rising awareness of feed nutrition and health, technological advancements in the equipment industry and increase in the demand for feed around the world. Medicated feeds containing veterinary are often used to help prevent disease within livestock and there are MRLs for feed which has created the need for testing as high levels of residues can have an effect on livestock health and also transfer through to meat products for human consumption. With humidity levels rising in recent years there has been an influx in the level of mycotoxins found within feed and cereals. These toxins are fungal and can affect both livestock and human health for example mycotoxicoses which is a disease which can affect the respiratory system. The main cause of mycotoxins within stored grains are when the grain is damp or cracked and kept in insufficient storage conditions. These factors have made it necessary for feed and cereals to be tested for both drug residues and mycotoxins to ensure that they do not end up within the food chain.
Honey Market
The global honey market is growing at a rapid pace and the global consumption of honey is to reach 2.5 million tones by 2022. This growth is driven for consumers demand for natural and healthy alternatives to artificial sweeteners over cane sugar. There is also a growing awareness of the health and healing benefits of honey which is driving the demand for the use of honey for medicinal use, manuka honey sales continue to grow for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The rapid rise in demand for honey outweighs the amount that can be produced in a natural form globally due to a decline in the number of bees. This has influenced the quality of honey being produced as some producers take to diluting natural honey with high-fructose corn syrups in order to supply the demand. There is a requirement for keepers to treat bee colonies with antibiotics to prevent CCD and other diseases such as varroa mites and there is a chance that these harmful drug residues can be transferred through to the end product ‘natural’ honey. The use of antibiotic drugs in apiculture is globally restricted and there are no MRLs set for antibiotics in honey as it a natural product and needs to be antibiotic free, this has cause the need for testing both for drug residues and the overall quality of the honey being produced.
Detection
Due to the requirement to use a variety of drug treatments in the food industry and also the potential economic benefits to be gained from the use of growth promoters, there will continue to be use in animal production. However, as analytical methods of detection become more sensitive, producers are given further options for testing.
The surveillance for the potential presence of these residues of veterinary substances is regulated by the EU Directive 86/469/EEC. This directive outlines the guidelines for sampling and testing within a residue monitoring programme.
The requirement to meet these standard and the MRLs and detection levels outlined in the legislation has created a need for analytical methods to become more sensitive to ensure correct analysis. On some occasions MRL’s have been lowered which require a technology sensitive enough to detect very low concentrations in a sample.
One such screening method that is commonly used is the Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods, which work well for testing and providing accurate results.
Randox Food have developed another method of analysis using the Evidence Investigator which uses similar methodology to ELISA methods. The analyser uses biochip array technology (BAT) to perform simultaneous quantitative detection of multiple analytes from a single sample and can be used across multiple matrix types including the products produced by the industries mentioned. The core technology is the Randox biochip, this contains an array of discrete test regions containing immobilized antibodies specific to the drug residues under test.
These methods are rapid, reliable, and sensitive so are able to detect residues in very small concentrations. The Randox methods are developed in line with EU Directive 86/469/EEC and as such are an effective testing method for multiple areas of the food industry.
For further information please contact the Randox Food Diagnostics team by emailing: info@randoxfood.com
Securing the future with in vitro diagnostic tests
The aim of Biomedical Science Day is to raise the public’s awareness of the importance of biomedical science and the vital role it plays in the world. Randox are dedicated to improving healthcare worldwide through placing a major focus on research and development. The Randox scientists work in pioneering research into a range of common illnesses such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
A recent blog from Doris-Ann Williams, the Chief Executive at BIVDA, explains how “increased funding is not enough to sustain the NHS” and how “we need to make better use of in vitro diagnostics to ensure a successful future”.
The National Health Service (NHS) is a publicly funded, primarily taxation, national healthcare system in the United Kingdom. It was first set-up on July 5th, 1948 by Aneurin Bevan as he believed that everyone, regardless of wealth, should have access to good healthcare. Whilst the NHS is an extremely important aspect of healthcare in the UK, in vitro diagnostics are the heart and soul of the healthcare system as healthcare professionals not only rely on blood tests to diagnose and treat patients, but also to rule out the different contributing causes to a disease state. In vitro diagnostics also plays a key role in monitoring chronic disease states. In vitro diagnostics can also aid in reducing hospital stays, reduce misdiagnosis and support patients in looking after their own health and to deliver personalised treatment plans.
The Randox scientists have developed several niche assays to improve patient diagnosis, monitor treatment and eliminate misdiagnosis.
Adiponectin
Adiponectin is a protein hormone secreted by adipocytes with anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitising properties. It plays an important role in a number of metabolic processes including glucose regulation and fatty acid oxidation. Adiponectin levels are inversely correlated with abdominal visceral fat which have proven to be a strong predictor of several pathologies, including: metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cancers and cardiovascular disease (CVD). For more information on the importance of testing Adiponectin levels, check out our Adiponectin Whitepaper.
Cystatin C
Cystatin C is an early risk marker for renal impairment. The most commonly run test for renal impairment is Creatinine. Creatinine measurements have proven to be inadequate as certain factors must be taken into consideration, including age, gender, ethnicity etc. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have updated their guidelines, which now recommends Cystatin C as a more superior test for renal impairment due to its higher specificity for significant disease outcomes than those based on Creatinine. For more information on the importance of testing Cystatin C levels, check out our Cystatin C Whitepaper.
Small-dense LDL Cholesterol (sdLDL-C)
LDL Cholesterol (LDL-C) consists of two parts: the large and buoyant LDL Cholesterol and the small and dense LDL Cholesterol. Whilst all LDL-C transports triglycerides and cholesterol to bodily tissues, their atherogensis varies according to their size. As sdLDL-C is small and dense, they can more readily permeate the arterial wall and are more susceptible to oxidation. Research indicates that individuals with a predominance of sdLDL-C have a 3-fold increased risk of myocardial infarction. It has been noted that sdLDL-C carries less Cholesterol than large LDL, therefore a patient with predominately sdLDL-C particle may require nearly 70% more sdLDL-C particles to carry the same amount of cholesterol as the patient with predominately LDL-C particles. For more information on the importance of testing sdLDL-C levels, check out our sdLDL-C Whitepaper.
These three niche in vitro diagnostics tests developed by Randox scientists can aid in reducing NHS costs due to their higher performance compared to the traditional tests. Randox are constantly striving to improve healthcare worldwide.
For more information on the extensive range of Randox third-party in vitro diagnostic reagents, visit: https://www.randox.com/diagnostic-reagents/ or contact reagents@randox.com.
The RX series celebrate Biomedical Science Day
Biomedical Science Day is taking place this year on the 19th of July. This is an annual celebration with the aim of raising public awareness of the importance of biomedical science and the vital role it plays in the world.
To celebrate biomedical science day the RX series interviewed Aidan Murphy, one of our laboratory analysts at Randox to find out more about what his job in the lab entails day-to-day. Aidan works with the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers and Randox QC on a daily basis.
We asked Aidan a few questions about his life as a scientist. See what he gets up to in Randox on a daily basis …
1. What attracted you to a career in laboratory science?
Science has always interested me in both my academic and personal life, I always aspired to get a science based degree and after achieving this I now hope to improve my laboratory skills to increase my employability.
2. What were your stronger subjects at school?
My strongest subjects in school were biology, chemistry, music and politics. Some of which are more applicable to my current role than others.
3. What does your job in Randox entail?
My job entails a variety of roles ranging from testing Randox diagnostic kits before they’re released to customers as well as maintenance and precision checks of the machines in our lab.
4. What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
The independence in my job is great. Knowing what I have to do at the start of each week and the deadlines to do these jobs requires me to organise and prioritise my work accordingly.
5. What are some common preconceived ideas the public have about what laboratory staff do?
From my friends’ ideas of what I do in the lab I have found that a stereotypical image of a lab is one of a dark quiet lab full of strange equipment and even stranger people. However fortunately my lab is a lively one and thankfully with normal people.
6. In your opinion, what are the most important aspects of laboratory work?
Following correct protocols and procedures are imperative in an efficient laboratory. As well as this, good lab practice and good hygiene can have a massive effect on the accuracy of our results.
7. What’s in your lab coat pocket?
My lab coat pockets are quite boring. I have a pair of safety goggles, some post-its and some pens and markers.
8. In what ways does your work make a difference to people’s lives?
Randox is dedicated to improving the quality of diagnostics globally, so knowing that the kits that I have tested are then sent to customers to be used in patient diagnosis gives me a level of job satisfaction that I haven’t got from previous jobs.
Aidan is a fundamental member of the Randox team and plays an essential role in the diagnosis and prevention of disease through his work. Without our valuable laboratory team working extremely hard behind the scenes the lifesaving work we do here at Randox would not be possible.
To find out more about Randox products contact us at theRXseries@randox.com.
Check out our social media sites for more on Biomedical Science Day.
Importance of Drug and Alcohol Testing in Family Law cases
“Family Law defines the legal attributes of the status, for example, the mutual rights and obligations of the married couple and provides remedies for regulating the relationship of the parties. Family Law determines the status of a child and provides mechanisms for regulating the exercise of parental responsibility.” – James Munby
James Munby spoke on the social justice for children and families and outlined the aims of the family justice system. He concluded with the ultimate aim stressing that the system must be about ‘securing social justice for children and their families.’
In specific circumstances in family law cases testing for drugs and alcohol may be required by various professional bodies involved in child custody cases, care proceedings or child protection cases. In cases regarding divorce and children, a dispute may arise during the process of discussions involving the custody of children. In these cases drug and alcohol testing may be sought if there has been a substance abuse claim against a parent fighting for custody or visitation.
Family law drug and alcohol testing is important to ensure child protection from the detrimental effects of parental substance misuse and to ensure they have a quality of life they deserve. In addition it is also important to enable parents the opportunity to get the help and support they need and begin rehabilitation treatment. Doing the right thing by the child is the main priority, and where possible parent and child relationships are sought to be maintained.
Randox Testing Services – Medical Review
The comprehensive medical review service from Randox Testing Services offers independent and expert examination of positive results under medical confidentiality. As a cause for concern, positive results are recognised as a serious trade issue in all areas of drug and alcohol testing be it employee testing, testing carried out for family law issues or forensic toxicology.
A medical review report provides a detailed analysis of results to determine if there is a legitimate medical reason for positive results. Performed by a Medical Review Officer (MRO) the assessment involves a donor’s medical background to determine if, for example, a donor is taking or has taken in the recent past any prescriptive medication that may have affected results.
Our medical review service ensures confidence in results by eradicating any wrongful conclusions being made while helping to protect the rights of the person being tested and the person requiring the testing.
Family Law solicitors involved in care proceedings must take seriously the consequences of a parent or guardian testing positively for drugs or alcohol. The wrongful conclusion of a positive test result could lead to child parent separation for those involved in a custody battle or child protection case and cause unnecessary stress and anguish. A medical review protects the rights of all involved and ensures trust in the legal sector is maintained by determining legitimate reasons for a positive result while eradicating false conclusions from being made.
Randox Testing Services – Expert Witness Report
An expert witness report is a document providing a detailed outline of the drug and alcohol testing procedure followed and an interpretation of the results found. It is used as objective evidence in court and provides a detailed explanation of whether or not substances tested for were detected as well as information regarding chain of custody compliance.
Family law solicitors or social services may require an expert witness report for use in care proceedings relating to a dispute over the custody of children, or an issue concerning child protection. An expert witness report ensures non-biased and factual evidence for use in family court and guarantees confidence in results by ensuring sample integrity has been maintained throughout the testing process. In addition strict chain of custody procedures guarantees donor confidentiality which is vital in family court care proceedings.
Contact us today at testingservices@randox.com or call 0 161 741 2760 to speak to one of our experts.
We Are Randox | Life in Australia with Tanya Galewski
Here at Randox, we’re a diverse bunch. We have more than 1400 employees of 44 nationalities, including 300 research scientists and engineers. Needless to say, the Randox family is a multicultural one!
We have four key manufacturing and R&D sites – in County Antrim, Northern Ireland; Dungloe, County Donegal, Ireland; Bangalore, India; and the Greater Washington DC area, in the U.S.
We also have additional sales and distribution offices spread over 145 different countries, ranging from France to Argentina, Italy to China, and Vietnam to Australia – the focus of this month’s We Are Randox feature.
To learn more about the country famous for Ayers Rock, the Great Barrier Reef, and so many more natural wonders and landmarks, we sat down with Technical Sales Specialist Tanya Galewski at this week’s Annual Randox Sales Conference.
Read on to hear find out what it’s like to live in Australia, her tips for visiting the country, and of course, her top 5 must-see destinations!
Life in Australia is pretty much as you would expect – super relaxed and wonderfully warm.
But in saying that, we’re such outdoorsy people. We’re always out eating and drinking, and there are national parks and beaches everywhere, which means that we end up spending a lot more time outside than inside, which I think makes for a great atmosphere.
We’re just real go-getters!
My top 5 Must-See Destinations in Australia would be:
- Bondi Beach
(I live there so I have to say Bondi Beach!) But it certainly is one of Australia’s most iconic and most beautiful beaches. It really emulates the laid-back atmosphere of Australia, has wonderful cafés along the boardwalk, some beautiful shops, and of course the sand is totally pristine. If you like to surf the waves are incredible and the water itself is stunning.
- McLaren Vale
This is a beautiful wine region in the south of Australia which overlooks the ocean. Again, I may be biased as it is near my home town, but the wine produced there is totally world-class. You can take part in wine tasting events, visit farmers’ markets and enjoy live cookery demonstrations. It’s the perfect foodie destination.
- Noosa National Park
This is a national park in Queensland. It has the most gorgeous coastal walk where you can see dolphins, experience beautiful views of headlands and dunes, and go surfing. If you’re interested in Australian wildlife it’s also home to a range of animals including parrots, koalas, and frogs.
- Uluru
Moving away from the coastland, the next spot on my Must-See list would be Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock). It’s in the centre of Australia and is the absolute epitome of the Australian outback. Not only is it a geologist’s dream, it’s also really spiritual and you can’t help but be in awe when you see this wonder of the world.
- Melbourne
There is so much to see and do in the city of Melbourne. You could spend all your time there just eating and drinking and you still wouldn’t be able to visit all the wonderful cafés and restaurants!
The culture in Australia is quite diverse because it’s a multi-cultural country, meaning that our cuisine is also quite diverse. One of the good things about that is because there are so many people who specialise in what they cook, the food is exceptionally good. It’s helped also by the fact that we have such amazing home-grown produce.
Overall I would say that Australia is the perfect place for you if you love getting outdoors in the fresh air, enjoy trying new food, and like having the opportunity to take on new adventures.
With such a wide range of culture, climate and terrain all in the one country, there really is something for everybody.
We’re delighted to have had the chance to chat to Tanya, to learn about life in Australia and find out more about the country which hosts one of our international offices.
For more We Are Randox stories about our amazing colleagues, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and follow the hashtag #WeAreRandox.
For current vacancies in Randox Australia, visit careers.randox.com
The link between your nutrition and your mental health
Our nutritional health affects almost every process in the human body.
And nutrition gives us energy. A body without food is like a car without fuel, and we certainly wouldn’t put bad fuel in our car. Just like a car, consistently putting bad fuel into our bodies can have a detrimental effect.
For example, if you are a vegetarian, you may not have enough iron in your diet, or if you exclude dairy from your diet, you may not have enough calcium. Such insufficiency is well known for causing various health problems such as anaemia and brittle bones.
But what you may not know is that a lack of particular vitamins or minerals in our diet may also negatively affect our mental health. And it’s not surprising when you learn that the brain and the gastrointestinal systems are so closely linked.
Have you ever had “butterflies in your stomach”? Or been in a “gut-wrenching” situation? These phrases are used for a reason.
Your gastrointestinal system is sensitive to emotion – so whether you feel angry, sad, anxious or excited, this emotion may appear as symptoms in your stomach. The brain can even trigger the release of stomach juices just by thinking about your next meal.
And the connection can work both ways, as the gut-brain relationship is bidirectional. A troubled digestive system can send signals of pain or discomfort to the brain, and can therefore be the cause of mental illbeing.
Low levels of B-12 and other B vitamins such as vitamin B-6 and folate in particular are linked to depression. And this is because they play a role in producing brain chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions.
It’s therefore important to monitor whether nutritionally you are getting enough of these vitamins in your diet, which may in fact by the source of your mental illbeing. Our scientists at Randox Health thoroughly analyse up to 350 of your body’s biological markers to reveal what’s happening in your body, and if it turns out that a gut imbalance is having an effect on your mental health, there’s something you can do about it.
Determining the appropriate treatment may be as simple as eating more eggs, milk, cheese, milk products, meat, fish, shellfish or poultry, which are known sources of Vitamin B12.
So take control of your health – find out if your stomach problems are contributing to your mental concerns.
Contact the Randox Health team today.
Tel: 0800 2545 130
Email:info@randoxhealthni.com
How Randox is helping to diagnose nutritional status
At Randox, we’re dedicated to improving health worldwide and are consistently trying to break our own innovative records. Throughout the month of July, we’ll be introducing you to how we’re helping to diagnose nutritional deficiencies and define individual nutritional status among patients.
Zinc
Randox Reagents
Randox Reagents have the highest quality reagents on the market and a test menu comprising of over 113 assays. Unique to Randox is the zinc assay which is important in the diagnosis of kidney and liver damage.
Our zinc assay can be used to measure the levels of zinc in a patient’s urine providing insight into the levels of zinc in the body. This, combined with our copper assay, can aid in identifying the cause of liver damage in a patient, leading to correct treatment and recovery.
The RX series
The RX series offers the most comprehensive testing profile for assessing nutritional status to identify any nutritional deficiencies or any other nutritional issues within an individual.
The RX series zinc test can identify a zinc deficiency in an individual which is often a result of a low dietary intake and can lead to many problems including impaired immune and cognitive functions, kidney disease and diabetes.
Randox Quality Control
World-leading diagnostics would be nothing without world-leading quality control materials to ensure consistency and accuracy across all results. The Randox Acusera Liquid Chemistry Premium Plus control is the most comprehensive chemistry control available.
Stay tuned over the course of the month as we highlight how we’re helping in the fight against nutrient deficiencies.
Homocysteine & Womenās Health
Homocysteine is a thio-containing amino acid produced by the intracellular demethylation of methionine. Elevated levels of homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinemia) is more common in women than in men and is associated with a wide array of illnesses. It has also been proven to cause several problems in women including: cardiovascular disease (CVD), colon cancer, pregnancy complications, and birth defects.
Cardiovascular Disease
Elevated levels of circulating homocysteine correlates with an increased risk of vascular occlusion (blockage of a blood vessel). Hyperhomocysteinemia can cause inflammation of the endothelium (thin layer of cells linking the interior blood vessels). Failure to lower homocysteine levels can cause further inflammation of the arteries, veins, and capillaries causing atherosclerosis. Consequently, blood and oxygen supply to tissues is reduced, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Elevated levels correlates with higher diastolic and systolic blood pressure, hypertension. However, this correlation is stronger in women than in men. Women with elevated levels of homocysteine have a 3-fold increased risk of CVD, whereas men have a 2-fold increased risk.
Colon Cancer
Women with hyperhomocysteinemia have an increased risk of colorectal cancer than women with lower levels. Women who present with the highest levels of homocysteine have more than a 70% increased colorectal cancer risk. A correlation between reduced levels of folate and increased levels of homocysteine have been found in women with colorectal adenoma. It is recommended that women with hyperhomocysteinemia and reduced levels of folate should increase their intake of fruit and vegetables to reduce their levels of homocysteine and increase their levels of folate.
Pregnancy Complications and Birth Defects
Homocysteine levels should decline during pregnancy, however, in some cases, levels increase. Hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with foetal neural tube defects which causes various conditions, characterised by placental vasculopathy, including pre-eclampsia, abruption, and recurrent pregnancy loss. It has been identified that folate supplementation can half the risk of foetal neural tube defects. One study found that hyperhomocysteinemia was associated with a 2-fold to 3-fold increased risk for pregnancy-induced hypertension, abrupyio placentae, and intrauterine growth restriction.
Randox Homocysteine Reagent
The Randox Homocysteine assay offers a few unique features:
- Limited interference from Bilirubin, Haemoglobin, Triglycerides, and Intralipid, producing more accurate and precise results.
- Two-reagent format for convenience and ease of use
- Calibrator provided with kit, simplifying the ordering process
Other features include:
- Liquid ready-to-use reagents – for optimum user experience
- Excellent linearity – 47. 9 μmol/L, ensuring abnormally high levels of homocysteine are detected.
- Enzymatic method
- Tri-level cardiac control available
If you are a clinician or laboratory who are interested in running assays for women’s health, Randox offer a range of high-quality routine and niche assays including: Adiponectin, Cystatin C, Lipoprotein (a), and Zinc which can be used to diagnose conditions commonly affecting women. These assays can be run on most automated biochemistry analysers.
Instrument Specific Applications (ISA’s) are available for a wide range of biochemistry analysers. Contact us to enquire about your specific analyser.
For more information, visit: https://www.randox.com/homocysteine or email: reagents@randox.com
Randox Toxicology: The Next Wave in Drug Abuse
A letter published by The New England Journal of Medicine documented that officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Douglas C. Throckmorton, Scott Gottlieb and Janet Woodcock have warned that non-opioid painkillers could be at the forefront of the next wave of drug abuse.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that over 42,000 deaths in the US were due to opioid abuse in 2016, with 40% of all opioid related deaths having involved prescription opioids. As a result, the FDA are encouraging doctors to prescribe alternative opioid drugs when possible and are developing new therapeutics to help people dealing with pain.
However, fears have been raised that curbing prescription opioid abuse could lead to opioid substitutes being used. Substances that are being closely watched include over the counter treatments; benzodiazepines and kratom.
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are minor tranquillisers used to treat anxiety and insomnia. The effects include sedation, suppressing fits and making the user feel calm and relaxed. When mixed with other depressant drugs like heroin or alcohol, benzodiazepines can cause short term memory loss and nasty withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, anxiety and vomiting. These tranquillisers come in tablet form which people may crush or melt to inject, making them extremely dangerous and sometimes fatal.
Kratom
The tropical tree known as kratom, grows in marshy areas around Asia and contains the active chemicals mitragynine, mitraphylline and 7-hydroxymitragynine. The effects of taking kratom include an opiate like sedation and a stimulated state of alertness, whilst higher doses can trigger severe nausea and vomiting. Heavy use of the drug can also cause constipation, darkening of the skin, insomnia, dry mouth and anorexia.
As the primary manufacturer of Biochip Array Technology, our cutting-edge multiplex testing capabilities offer rapid and accurate drug detection. Providing the most comprehensive drugs of abuse test menu across multiple forensic matrices, our multi-analyte testing platform allows toxicologists to achieve a complete immunoassay profile in the initial screening phase from a single sample and CVs are typically less than 10%.
With new designer drugs appearing all too frequently, it’s essential to react and create new tests. Our level of expertise in toxicology research and development allows us to do exactly that, evident through our NPS II panel which detects the latest designer drugs including Mitragynine. As new psychoactive substances are proliferating at an unprecedented rate the rapid evolution of adequate equipment remains vital.
Alongside our NPS II panel, Randox Toxicology provide the highest quality ELISAs available on the market including our exclusive mitragynine ELISA and results provide excellent correlation with confirmatory methods.
By adapting quickly to the ever-changing market influences and developing assays with optimum target compounds and excellent specificities for current and novel drug trends, Randox Toxicology continue to advance the future of toxicology and minimise laboratory workflow constraints.
For more information about our unrivalled toxicology test menu, email info@randoxtoxicology.com or visit www.randoxtoxicology.com
Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in women? Cardiovascular disease, or CVD, accounts for 27% of all female deaths. That’s much higher than what is commonly thought to be the biggest killer of women – breast cancer. At Randox, we’re using our innovative technology to diagnose CVD cases as early as possible so appropriate treatment can be sought.
The Randox clinical product range offers a wide range of products to combat heart issues including the RX series extensive cardiac testing panel, reagents such as H-FABP, Adiponectin an TxB Cardio and an extensive cardiac QC range available in both liquid & lyophilised format.
You can find out more about how Randox is helping to diagnose women’s health issues, such as CVD, here.
What is CVD?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general terms for conditions that affect the heart and/or blood vessels. It is usually associated with the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries and an increased risk of blood clots.
CVD is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK but can often largely be prevented with a healthy lifestyle.
Types of CVD
Coronary heart disease
This occurs when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle is blocked or reduced
Stroke
A stroke is where the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, which can cause brain damage and possibly death. A transient ischaemic attack (also called a TIA or “mini-stroke”) is similar, but the blood flow to the brain is only temporarily disrupted.
Causes of CVD
The exact cause of CVD isn’t clear, but there are lots risk factors that can increase your risk of getting it. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing CVD. Risk factors include:
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Inactivity
- Being overweight or obese
- Family history of CVD
- Ethnic background
Preventing CVD
- Stop smoking
- Have a balanced diet
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Cut down alcohol consumption
How is Randox helping to detect CVD?
Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for superior semi-automated and fully automated testing. The RX series extensive dedicated test menu goes beyond routine testing and has many unique and high-performance tests available. Our range of tests covers many tests for the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiac diseases.
Cardiac Panel
| Cholesterol | CRP Full Range(0.3-160mg/l) | Direct LDL Cholesterol | sLDL |
| CK-MB | CRP High Sensitivity | Heart-Type Fatty Acid Binding Protein (H-FABP) | Triglycerides |
| CK-NAC | Digoxin | Lipoprotein(a) | TxB Cardio |
| CRP | Direct HDL Cholesterol | Myoglobin | Adiponectin |
Our world leading test menu of high quality reagents guarantees excellence in patient care ensuring unrivalled precision and accuracy reducing costly test re-runs or misdiagnosis and offering complete confidence in results.
The RX series clinical chemistry analysers provide laboratories with a robust and smart solution ensuring you maintain a consistent workflow and can provide accurate results first time, every time. Offering excellent customer support services, our trained engineers are on hand to work with you in preserving the continuity of your operations while maximising the potential of your RX series instrument.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/clinical-chemistry-analysers/
