ADHD Genes: Pathways and Root Causes

Neurotransmitter pathways and circadian rhythm genes affect ADHD risk.

Hi there,

This week's new article covers a topic that I've been putting off for a long time - ADHD. It's a huge topic, and the genetics research is not as neat and clear-cut as I would like.

I always feel a bit nervous when writing about topics related to mental health or neurotransmitters, so please understand that while everything in the article is backed up by peer-reviewed research studies, those studies weren't done on you. If you have any questions, please always talk with a health professional.

I have a directory where some of the Genetic Lifehacks PRO members have listed their practices, in case you're looking for someone to help.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Debbie Moon

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ADHD Genes: Exploring the Role of Genetics, Environment, and Neurochemistry in ADHD

Key takeaways:

~ ADHD affects around 5-7% of kids, and imaging studies show physiological differences in the way certain regions of the brain work.

~ Many genetic variants come together to increase susceptibility to ADHD. You can check your 23 and Me or AncestryDNA data below for these genetic markers.

~Two prominent pathways in ADHD susceptibility include circadian rhythm genes and neurotransmitter (dopamine, norepinephrine, histamine) genes.

~ Environmental factors also play a role, including toxicant exposure.

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Boost Slow-Wave Sleep with Glycine Before Bed

A recent study on sleep and dementia points out (once again) that sleep is essential for good health in aging. The study discovered that getting less sleep in your 50s and 60s, such as 6 hours or fewer per night, raises your risk of dementia in your later years by 30%.

This article digs into the research on how glycine may help to improve sleep, and how genetic variants impact slow-wave sleep.

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What I've been reading:

1. Amazon is banning the sale of NMN

Amazon announced that they will no longer allow supplement sales for NMN. There are regulatory questions with the FDA as to whether NMN is going to be patented and used as an ingredient in a drug.

2. Estimates of all cause mortality and cause specific mortality associated with proton pump inhibitors among US veterans: cohort study

Use of proton pump inhibitors is linked to 45 excess deaths per 1000 patients taking PPIs long term (mainly due to increased cardiovascular deaths and kidney disease deaths). The study followed 200,000+ users of PPIs for 10 years using data from the Veterans Affairs hospitals and VA outpatient clinics. The comparison group used inthe study was made up of people who were taking H2 blockers, which are another type of acid suppressing drugs. Thus, the increase in mortality is specific to PPIs (not acid suppressing drugs in general).

Commonly used PPIs include Prilosec (omeprazole), Nexium (esomeprazole), AcipHex (rabeprazole), and Prevacid (lansoprazole).

My takeaway: The conclusion to the article is that PPIs cause a small excess in deaths, but an increase of 4.5 excess deaths / 100 people taking PPIs seems significant to me -- especially when there are alternative medications. Hopefully there are smart statisticians looking at this and alerting the FDA if the signal is real.

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