solved The Reaction Paper Assignment You will be writing a 1,000

The Reaction Paper Assignment
You will be writing a 1,000 word Reaction Paper in this course using the instructions and links found below. You will be completing the following tasks and gathering the following information for your paper:

Watch the epigenetics video from PBS available as a YouTube      link in this folder (second item in the folder). Begin your paper by defining epigenetics in your      own words and discussing your reaction to the video.
Interview your family members and complete the  Family History-Dr. Oz.pdf  .  Find out which      disease(s) you are most at risk for.
Research and locate one article on epigenetics and whatever      disease you are most at risk for (select a study on research conducted on      humans) from a reputable academic source:

Reputable Sources:

journal articles
government publications based on research

Do not use:

magazines of any sort, whether they are on paper or online
Websites of any type, including epigenetics websites
Wikipedia

How to Perform Your Research

Use the College Library in person or online (log in with your new MDC ID number (the one that is all numbers). Your password is the last four digits of that same MDC ID unless you have changed it.

Read the epigenetics article you find. Continue your paper with a discussion of the epigenetics article. Be sure to paraphrase (put things in your own words) and be sure to cite the author(s) of the article you find using APA style (see the section below on using APA style). Aim for about a page for this part of your paper.

Discuss the concept of epigenesis in light of your family      history and the article you read. Aim for one page for this      section of your paper.
Complete the Living to 100 Questionnaires. Integrate your findings on the      questionnaire into your discussion. Aim for another page.
Discuss how you can improve your      health and longevity in light of your findings in this questionnaire, your      understanding of epigenetics, and your knowledge of your family history.      This should be your final page.

Complete the Living to 100 Questionnaires. Integrate your findings on the questionnaire into your discussion. Aim for another page. I did the 100 questions and this are the feedbacks
Your calculated age is: 90

You could live to 103.
How to add years to your life:
Personal
+ 0.25
You noted that you don’t manage your stress as well as you could. Do a better job and you could add a quarter of a year to your life expectancy
Lifestyle
+ 2.0
If it is ok with your doctor, taking an 81 mg aspirin every day improves your heart and brain health and could help you delay or escape a heart attack or stroke. Taking an aspirin each day, perferably in the evening, could add 2 years to your life expectancy.
Nutrition
+ 5.0
Getting your weight down so that you are no longer overwieght could add an additional 5 years to your life expectancy
+ 1.0
The more you can get fast foods out of your diet the better. While you are already doing a pretty good job of doing so, completely removing fast oods from your diet could add a year to your life expectancy
+ 2.0
Changing your daily dietary intake so that you get to and maintain a healthy weight could add two years to your life expectancy
Medical
+ 1.0
Examining yourself for cancer could add a year to your life expectancy
+ 0.5
Being in touch with your health care provider annually is very important to your strategy to screen for and prevent illness. Getting the appropriate blood tests on a regular basis could add a half a year
+ 0.5
Getting your blood sugar checked could add half a year to your life expectancy
Personalized feedback from Dr Perls:
Proximity of Family
Having frequent contact with family, or friends who are like family, can be an important element of your ability to manage stress well, and is probably a life expectancy extender.
Extended family cohesiveness and frequent contact is a notable feature of centenarian families. Researchers have noted that people who do not belong to cohesive families have fewer coping resources and increased levels of social and psychological stress. Psychological stress is associated with heart disease, various cancers, and increased mortality risk.
How Do You Cope With Stress?
Keep up the good work. Doing your best to better manage your stress will positively impact many aspects of your emotional and physical health. Consider numerous options in better managing your stress. Take a deep breath the next time you are stressed. Step back for a moment, knowing that shedding the stress will be a better immediate way of dealing with the matter. Long-term, it will help you delay or even avoid illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Try to learn methods that help you shed stress instead of internalizing it, such as Tai Chi, breathing techniques, meditation, physical exercise, and prayer.
Centenarians shed emotional stress exceptionally well. Their stress-shedding personalities, and the familial support which they receive and contribute to, are important stress-reducing mechanisms.
Sleep Habits
It is terrific that you are getting adequate and quality sleep. Adequate sleep is also a sign of good health.
Days of Work per week
A recent Japanese study of the relationship between work hours and heart attack risk reveled that men who worked, on average, 11 hours or more a day had twice the risk of heart attack. Interestingly though, is that those who worked less than 7 hours a day were also at increased risk. If you find your current workload comfortable and that you are taking advantage of your leisure time to perform healthy and enjoyable activities, good for you and keep up the good work!
Quality of Air
The good news is that cities are cleaner now than they were even ten years ago. The bad news is that you are still exposed to air pollution. If you are experiencing new respiratory symptoms and you don’t smoke, consider air pollution as a potential cause and discuss this with your physician or a specialist. Don’t go out exerting yourself when smog alerts are in effect.
Seatbelt Use
You probably know the statistics about survival from a car crash with a seatbelt versus without one. Wearing a seatbelt, even in the presence of an airbag, dramatically increases your chances of minimizing injury or surviving a serious car accident. Continue to be diligent about wearing your seatbelt.
Coffee Consumption
Whatever your reason for not drinking coffee, it definitely has you on the right track. Don’t start, because it is much harder to stop the habit once you pick it up.
Excessive coffee consumption can be a sign of increased stress. Stress can lead to a hormonal imbalance, which can physically stress and age numerous organs. In addition, coffee predisposes the stomach to chronic inflammation of the stomach and ulcers. Such chronic inflammation leads to release of substances that raise the risk of heart disease. Tea (especially green tea), on the other hand, has been noted for its significant antioxidant content, and tea drinkers in general appear to be healthier.
Tea Consumption
Try to give tea a chance. You may find that it grows on you. Regular tea consumption is a healthy habit that may actually be life-extending. The antioxidants in tea may decrease your risk of heart disease and cancer.
Tea contains a powerful class of antioxidants known as polyphenols. It is controversial whether green tea has more bioavailable polyphenols than black tea. Either way, however, you can’t go wrong with tea.
Smoking Habits
By not smoking or being exposed to substantial second-hand smoke, you are avoiding a prevalent cause of people dying in their 70s and earlier. 400,000 deaths per year are attributed to smoking, and many more people suffer from smoking-related diseases each year.
Cigarette smoke contains toxins which directly damage DNA and subsequently cause cancer. Cigarettes are the biggest direct source of nitro amines humans are exposed to. These substances, along with other constituents of cigarette smoke, are potent oxidants and carcinogens that lead to accelerated aging and diseases associated with aging. Each day, nearly 5,000 adolescents (age 11-17) smoke their first cigarettes. Almost two million teens annually, and approximately one-third of those that become smokers, will eventually die of smoking-related illnesses. Helpful internet sites include Quitnet and the American Lung Association.
Second-hand Smoke Exposure
Avoiding second-hand smoke is a very important habit. Because second-hand smoke is even more toxic than the filtered smoke that smokers inhale, it takes less of a “dose” or exposure to be toxic to your lungs and your body in general. Such exposure is clearly a substantial cause of cancer, heart disease, asthma and other lung diseases. Thus, keep avoiding second-hand smoke as you have been doing.
Alcohol Consumption
A moderate amount of alcohol consumption, as you have indicated, may be healthy and possibly reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. There is substantial evidence suggesting that mild to moderate alcohol consumption can be good for you. One study suggests that even a little more frequent consumption (one glass a day) might be good for you. However, some people cannot tolerate even a small amount of alcohol for medical or other reasons. Discuss your intake with your healthcare provider.
Moderate alcohol consumption has been associated with decreased heart disease risk. This may be one explanation for the so-called “”French paradox””. The French are known for their love of foods high in saturated fat, yet their heart disease risks may be lower than those of Americans (except in the case of those who smoke cigarettes), perhaps because of the higher consumption of wine by the French. Significant controversy revolves around what types of alcohol (wine, beer, or liquor) may have this benefit.
Remember that on the other hand, excessive alcohol is a toxin, which damages the liver and the mitochondria within most cells of the body. This leads to acceleration of aging, and increased susceptibility to many diseases associated with aging.
Aspirin consumption
Perhaps you cannot tolerate an aspirin a day because it hurts your stomach or you have a propensity for bleeding. On the other hand, if you don’t have a reason not to take aspirin, consider taking one daily.
81 mg of aspirin per day has been noted to significantly decrease heart disease risk. This benefit may be due to the anti-blood clotting effects of aspirin. Chronic inflammation may also play a role in heart disease (see 11, below) and therefore, aspirin’s effect on inflammation may also be helpful. For more information, consult the findings of the American Heart Association.
Sun Protection Habits
You are doing a good job protecting yourself from the sun, and therefore from accelerated aging of your skin, as well as from deadly skin cancers such as melanoma. But just because you do protect yourself does not mean you should not have a regular skin (dermatology) check-up and perform a monthly self-examination of your skin.
The association between sun exposure and accelerated skin aging is clear. The ultraviolet rays in sunlight directly damage DNA. More sun means more wrinkles sooner. It also means a higher risk of deadly skin cancer. Excessive sun exposure may also have toxic consequences for the body in general. For guidance on a self-exam, see skincheck.com .
Risky Behaviors
You are exercising good judgment. Viruses such as HIV, which are transmitted by risky behavior, not only cause AIDS but also various cancers including lymphoma. These viruses change DNA, and as a result probably influence aging as well. For more information, go to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Online or Advocates for Youth.
Flossing Habits
Keep flossing away! Not only does it improve your chances of longer kisses, but it improves your heart health as well.
Recent scientific evidence reveals that chronic gum disease leads to the release of inflammatory, toxic substances and certain bacteria into the bloodstream, which leads to plaque formation in arteries and ultimately lead to heart disease. This process probably also increases the risk of stroke and accelerated aging. For more information, consult the findings of the American Dental Association.
BMI
Your calculated body mass index indicates that you are significantly overweight. If you are in fact lean, and this calculation is off because of your greater-than-expected amount of muscle, perhaps you should have answered “yes” to the body building/strength training question, and you should add a few years to your calculated life expectancy.
If, to be honest, you are overweight, then you should do what you can to get down to a lean (as little fat as possible) body weight. Being overweight significantly increases your risk for diseases that markedly impact your life expectancy, including heart trouble, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, stroke, and dementia. Set aside at least 30 minutes a day to exercise, and be on a diet that will lead to losing some weight (by burning more calories than you take in) and eventually maintaining a life expectancy-maximizing weight.
As you age, you may find it even more challenging to keep the weight off. You will find, if you aren’t doing it already, that getting into a regular regimen of weight training to maintain or build muscle mass will be very effective in keeping the weight off. Of course, diet is also important, and lowering your consumption of carbohydrates is helpful. Diet advice is covered by the questions related to carbohydrates and sweets.
Fast Food and Processed Meat Consumption
Fast foods, including fried foods and hamburgers, are high in calories and saturated fats. These will make you gain weight, and they increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, and perhaps cancer. Some studies suggest that 90% of all human cancers are environmentally induced, 30-40% of these by diet. Another potential risk factor for cancer is preserved meats. Preserved and cured meats (bacon, sausage, lunch meats) are the largest source of nitrites in our diet. Nitrites in our bodies lead to the formation of nitrosamines, which are environmental oxidants and probable carcinogens. For instance, there is a suggestive association between nitrosamines and stomach cancer.
Barbecue Habits
Not barbecuing your food helps you avoid the carcinogens that can develop as a result of cooking meat and fish at very high heat. If you would like to barbecue, using a sheet of aluminum foil on the grill will help decrease the food’s exposure to such protein-altering high heat.
Dairy Consumption
Continue to do your best to ensure that you are getting plenty of calcium from your diet, and if needed, from a vitamin or calcium supplement. The recommended daily calcium intake is 1,000 – 1,500 mg per day. Adequate calcium intake in later life can slow the bone loss associated with aging. In addition to dairy products, calcium-fortified juices, breads, and cereals are excellent sources, as are supplements like TUMS and over-the-counter calcium supplements.
In addition, be sure that you have enough vitamin D in your diet. Vitamin D is necessary for the body to absorb the calcium we get in our diets. Most milk is fortified with vitamin D, and our bodies also make it when our skin is exposed to 15 to 20 minutes of sunlight daily. People who rarely go outside are prone to vitamin D deficiency.
Large quantities of salty foods and meat can significantly increase the amount of calcium lost in the urine. Adequate calcium intake may not prevent the accelerated bone loss in women caused by estrogen deficiency during and for several years after menopause. Some foods high in calcium also contain oxalic acid, which interferes with calcium absorption. Spinach is such a food.
Snacking Habits
Good job… the snacks you are eating are at least healthy. Be careful that you don’t eat too much though, as this can lead to weight gain. Be mindful of the number of calories in the foods you eat, and try to not exceed a healthy number of calories per day.
Nutrition experts vary on the benefits of snacking. Some say that eating 6 small meals a day is better than three big meals. Others suggest the opposite. You should choose a dietary habit that works best for you with the goal of not being overweight. Certainly, if you do snack, be sure they are healthy snacks. Most sweets have little (if any) nutritional value, and because they tend to be so calorie-rich from fats, they will certainly predispose you to being overweight. Switch from those unhealthy snacks to healthy ones. Then, consider if the snacks are helping you maintain a lean body mass or not.
Fast Food and Processed Meat Consumption
Good for you. A diet that minimizes red meat is healthier. Less meat in the diet is conducive to a lower risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Furthermore, foods that replace meat in a person’s diet are often sources of antioxidants (especially the polyphenols in certain vegetables and fruits, and the omega-3 fatty acids in fish), that help lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol.
When weighed against vegetables and fish or skinless poultry, red meat loses out when it comes to your health. The American Heart Association recommends a diet that minimizes meat and emphasizes these alternatives. Vegetarian dishes, in addition to being an alternative to meat, also have antioxidants that protect the heart and brain. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which help you raise your good cholesterol (HDL) and lower your bad cholesterol, (LDL) thus decreasing your risk for heart attack and stroke.
Interestingly, the vascular risk associated with red meat may be related to the fact that it is the major source of iron in our diet. The iron present in vegetables like spinach is relatively bio-unavailable. As you will read in greater detail under the topic of iron supplements, iron plays a critical role in our cells’ ability to produce harmful free radicals that likely potentiate aging and age-related illnesses.
Consumption of Sweets
You are doing much better than the average person in demonstrating restraint from eating those desserts and candy bars. These foods are high in saturated fats and calories. Both predispose you for weight gain, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. By helping you become obese, they increase your risk of various cancers.
These foods have little in the way of nutritional value. By staying away from them, anyone will make great gains in their life expectancy and the proportion of their lives spent in good health.
Consumption of Carbohydrates
You are likely eating too many carbs. Not only is the number of calories you eat important, but the type of calories is important as well. Grains, pastas, fruits, and starchy vegetables like potatoes are the most common carbohydrate foods. Simple carbohydrates like white bread, potatoes (especially French fries), pasta, white rice, and sugar cause the body to produce insulin in response to elevated levels of glucose in the blood. The insulin in turn induces the storage of fat, instead of burning it. Other foods like fats, protein, and more complex carbohydrates, like whole grains and fiber are less likely to turn on the production of insulin.
The glycemic index is a ranking of foods based on their immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels, and thus the production of insulin. Carbohydrate foods that break down quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic indexes, causing blood sugar and insulin to rise fast and high. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream, have low glycemic indexes. The lower the glycemic index, the less likely that food is going to contribute to the production of fat. There are numerous books and websites that provide the glycemic indexes for foods and drinks. However, the general food groups noted above are a good start in your education.
Diet and Weight Gain
Obesity is associated with inefficient energy production, and increased production of oxygen radicals within cells. This leads to increased risk of various cancers, heart disease, and accelerated aging. It may also lead to diabetes.
Cutting down on the amount you eat is one of the most important interventions you can do to have a dramatic impact on your health. For many people, eating too much is the main reason they are overweight.
For others, it is more difficult than just not eating so much, and a consultation with a diet expert may be warranted. Be conscientious about how much you eat. Become a calorie counter. Don’t eat until you are full – stop before you get there.
There are also several helpful websites on the internet that are dedicated to helping people lose weight and maintain a healthy weight, such as Shape Up America!.
Iron Consumption
It is probably good to stay away from iron supplements and iron-rich foods – specifically red meat – if you can. There is growing evidence from animal and human studies that iron levels are related to aging and age-associated diseases. Some epidemiological evidence supports the role of elevated iron levels in lipid peroxidation, the first step in the formation of atherosclerosis (arterial plaque).
Menstrual blood loss and resultant iron deficiency might protect against vascular disease, and may even contribute to the premenopausal survival advantage of women over men. Some men may be able to reduce their risk of vascular diseases by regularly donating blood, which could induce an iron deficiency. Blood donation has been associated with a decreased risk of arterial plaque. Further studies are needed to determine additional cardiovascular benefits or risks associated with blood donation.
Leisure Time Activity
It is great that you engange in physical activity during your leisure time. A recent study of English twins found that couch potatoes take off about ten years from their life expectancy.
Bowel Habits
Having a bowel movement at least once every two days may be associated with decreased risk of colon cancer.
Keeping “gut transit time” under 20 hours seems to decrease the incidence of colon cancer, probably by decreasing the contact time between the gut lining and cancer-potentiating substances in the diet. These substances influence DNA damage and repair, and therefore probably influence the rate of aging as well. Epidemiological studies of humans and animals suggest that increasing dietary fiber will reduce the risk of certain cancers, perhaps by increasing the frequency of bowel movements. On the other hand, some recent reports indicate that the association may not be as clear as once believed. In addition to increased transit time, and therefore less contact between carcinogens and the bowel wall, perhaps other factors that increase transit time, such as regular exercise, might be the real reason for decreased cancer risk.
HDL Cholesterol
Not knowing your HDL level should be considered a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. It means you are not availing yourself of some key information to decrease your risk for these diseases.
HDL cholesterol is known as “”good”” cholesterol because a high level of HDL cholesterol appears to protect against heart attack. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it is processed, dumped in the intestine, and then passed from the body. Some experts believe that excess cholesterol is removed from atherosclerotic plaque by HDL, thus slowing the build-up. However, HDL cholesterol levels lower than 35 mg/dL may result in a greater risk for heart disease and stroke. For more information about cholesterol including other risk factors and treatment, refer to the American Heart Association.
LDL Cholesterol
It is apparent you are interested in your health and well-being because you are taking this calculator. Now you need to take the next steps, including diligent screening. Get your cardiovascular disease risk factors checked, including your LDL cholesterol level.
A level of LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) higher than 130 mg/dL reflects an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. That’s why LDL cholesterol is often called “”bad”” cholesterol. When too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can lead to the formation of plaque in the blood vessels that feed the heart and the brain. With enough of this blockage, a heart attack or stroke can occur. To learn more about risk factors you can modify, refer to the American Heart Association.
Systolic blood pressure
A systolic blood pressure of 120 to 129 is called “pre-hypertension”. You and your healthcare provider need to keep on eye on this. Try to get your pressure down with weight loss (if you are overweight), a healthy diet, stress management, and exercise. If your pressure continues to increase, you may need to bring it down with medication.
Blood pressure results from two forces. The first force is created as your heart pumps blood into the arteries and through the circulatory system, and this is the systolic pressure. The second force is created as the arteries resist the blood flow, and this is the diastolic pressure. A systolic blood pressure greater than 140 is considered high, meaning that the person is at increased risk for heart attack and stroke. The risk climbs thereafter in proportion to the pressure.
Diastolic blood pressure
You have a good diastolic blood pressure. Centenarians generally have a history of a diastolic blood pressure in this range for most of their lives.
Diabetes and Blood Sugar
Of course, it is great that you don’t have diabetes. Like high blood pressure, a person can have diabetes for a long time and not know it. Thus it is very important that children and adults are regularly screened. Get your blood sugar checked at least every three years, and watch for some of the common symptoms of diabetes, including excessive and persistent thirst, unexplained weight loss, and voiding large amounts of urine frequently despite normal amounts of fluid intake Take the American Diabetes Association’s risk test. You can lower your risk by losing weight if you are overweight.
Diabetes occurs because a person’s body does not make enough insulin, and/or because the cells in their body are relatively resistant to the insulin they produce. As a result, diabetics can have large amounts of glucose in their circulation. By far the most common form of diabetes is adult onset or Type II diabetes, and this is often associated with obesity. This form is often well-controlled (meaning the blood glucose level is kept normal) with weight loss, diet, and/or oral medication. Sometimes insulin injections are necessary. Another form of diabetes is called juvenile or Type I diabetes, which more often occurs in children and requires insulin injections. The good news is that people are living long, productive and basically otherwise normal lives given the excellent treatments available.
Heart Attack History
Having no history of heart attack is very good, of course. Now, do all you can to minimize your risk for one by not smoking, exercising regularly, avoiding red meat, managing your stress well, being lean, and monitoring your blood pressure and cholesterol. Also, consider taking an aspirin a day if your healthcare provider says this is a good idea.
Medical Checkups
Regular checkups are so important. How often you need a checkup depends on your age and any medical or other clinically relevant problems you might have. Generally, anyone age 40 or older should be having annual checkups. A conscientious program of screening and prevention is key to living into old age in good health.
Family History of Heart Attack/Diabetes
Heart attack or diabetes appear to be present in your family. If you yourself do not have diabetes or have not had a heart attack, this is a warning to you to be extra diligent about screening for risk factors that make diabetes, heart attack, and stroke more likely, and to do what you can to prevent them.
Family History of Cancer
Your family history is warning you to be extra diligent about screening for various cancers, and to do what you can to prevent them. Speak with your healthcare provider about what you can do to screen for cancer, and catch it before it catches you!
Mother’s Longevity
It is great that your mom is healthy. Given that she is younger than 80, though, it is a bit hard to predict her longevity and form an idea of the longevity in your family.
Father’s Longevity
It is great that your dad is healthy. Given that he is younger than 80, though, it is a bit hard to predict his longevity and form an idea of the longevity in your family.
Ancestors’ Longevity
Genetics plays a significant role in the ability to achieve extreme old age. If there is no significant longevity in your family, then be extra diligent about good health