This testing program is designed by Dr. Roberta Kline exclusively for BARDDIAGNOSTCS and its patients.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH TESTING PROGRAM
When it comes to toxic exposures, health hazards exist in lesser or greater quantity - especially in the more dangerous jobs (ie. firefighting, construction, engine work etc). For the many Americans who dedicated an extended period of their careers to potentially toxic exposures, this comprehensive clinical testing program offers direct insight into their genetic predispositions for potentially adverse responses to occupational exposures. The selected testing also identifies predisposition to common cancers, chronic diseases, and other health issues.
Along with their DNA predisposition profiles, the client also receives personalized guidance about how this gathered information applies to their actual healthcare approach, and proactive strategies they can take to mitigate the impact on their health.
PHASE 1: GENETIC PREDISPOSITION
The first phase of this program establishes a client's actual genetic blueprint rendering the foundation of a personalized approach to minimizing exposure risks and optimizing health.
1) GENETIC TESTING: Genetic testing and interpretation of inherited mutations for common cancers (including breast, prostate, pancreatic, ovarian, colorectal, stomach, and melanoma) and cardiovascular disease. 2) NUTRITIONAL GENOMICS TESTING: Genomic testing and interpretation of SNPs in many systems underlying health, including the processing of environmental toxins, nutrition, sleep, heart disease, brain health, mood, diabetes, inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial health, hormones, cancers, exercise and injury, bone density.
3) PHARMACOGENOMIC TESTING: Genomic testing and interpretation of SNPs in genes associated with medication response, including adverse reactions and effectiveness.
PHASE 2: BIOLOGICAL & HEALTH IMPACT
The next segment of this program assesses the impact of toxin exposures as they interact with genetic predisposition and affecting the biological systems that support health. Each client also receives personalized guidance and strategies for addressing any ongoing exposures and improving biological functioning and health. 1) TOXIN TESTING: Specialized testing to assess current levels of a wide variety of toxins encountered in the workplace and home environments, with personalized strategies for supporting your internal detoxification systems to reduce their levels and impact.
2) EPIGENETIC TESTING: Epigenetic testing and interpretation to assess how environmental exposures, diet, and lifestyle are interacting with your genetic predispositions, impacting real-time gene expression and health risks including how fast your cells are aging, general cancer and disease risks, immune health, smoking and alcohol exposures.
3) FUNCTIONAL LAB TESTING: Additional specialized lab tests to assess areas identified as potential targets of toxins, directly or indirectly. Personalized to each client, these can include assessments of hormones, mitochondria, oxidative stress, microbiome, stress, sleep and more.
PART 2: ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES AND THE BODY: "WHY SOME GET SICK AND OTHERS DON’T"
Despite similar workplace conditions, not every individual responds to environmental hazards in the same way. This discrepancy stems from the intricate interplay between genetic predisposition, cumulative toxin exposure, lifestyle factors, and overall biological resilience.
When environmental toxins—like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, combustion byproducts, pesticides, and industrial chemicals—enter the body, they’re processed through detoxification pathways largely governed by genes. Individuals with inherited variants in detox genes such as GSTT1, CYP2D6, NQO1, and SOD2 may struggle to effectively neutralize and eliminate these substances, allowing toxic metabolites to accumulate. Over time, this bioaccumulation leads to oxidative stress, DNA damage, endocrine disruption, and immune dysregulation, setting the stage for chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular issues, autoimmune conditions, and neurological disorders.
Moreover, epigenetic changes—alterations in gene expression triggered by environmental exposures—can modify how genes behave without altering their underlying DNA sequence. This means that prolonged occupational exposures may “turn on” genes associated with inflammation or carcinogenesis, or “turn off” protective tumor suppressor genes. Epigenetic testing, as featured in this program, helps capture this dynamic, providing real-time insights into how one’s environment is influencing their genetic risk profile.
HIGH-RISK JOBS AND OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY LIMITATIONS
Certain professions inherently carry a greater burden of toxic exposures due to the nature of their work environments and materials handled. Among the highest risk occupations:
* Firefighters and Emergency Responders: Regular exposure to combustion byproducts, flame retardants, and hazardous particulates.
* Construction and Demolition Workers: Contact with asbestos, silica dust, lead, VOCs, solvents, and heavy metals.
* Industrial Manufacturing Employees: Repeated exposure to industrial chemicals, degreasers, paints, and glues in poorly ventilated settings.
* Miners and Oil Rig Workers: Exposure to dust particles, diesel exhaust, heavy metals, and hydrocarbons.
* Agricultural Workers: Chronic contact with pesticides, fertilizers, fungicides, and other agrochemicals.
* Healthcare Workers: Exposure to anesthetic gases, sterilizing agents, chemotherapeutics, and infectious biological hazards.
While regulatory agencies such as OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) set permissible exposure limits (PELs) and recommended safety practices, these standards are built around population averages and do not account for individual genetic susceptibility.
For genetically predisposed workers, even exposures deemed “acceptable” under current safety guidelines can silently accumulate adverse effects over time. Further complicating this, many occupational safety limits are based on outdated data and often don’t address newer, more insidious exposures like ultrafine particles and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, which may cause health damage at subclinical exposure levels.
THE FUTURE OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH MONITORING
This advanced occupational testing program signifies a transformative shift toward precision occupational medicine—integrating genetic, epigenetic, and toxin exposure insights to offer personalized risk management. The ability to stratify risk based on a person’s unique genetic blueprint and cumulative exposure burden empowers both workers and employers to make informed decisions about job assignments, protective measures, detoxification support, and early intervention protocols.
By moving beyond generic safety measures to a personalized, data-driven health strategy, this program ensures vulnerable individuals are no longer invisible in occupational health policies—and instead, receive proactive, tailored care that preserves their long-term well-being.
References:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Toxicological Profiles. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiledocs/index.html
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Occupational Exposure Limits: The Role of NIOSH and OSHA. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/exposurelimits/default.html
Rappaport SM, Smith MT. Environment and Disease Risks. Science. 2010 May 28;328(5980):1244-5.
doi:10.1126/science.1178566
Niedzwiecki MM, et al. The Role of Environmental Exposures and Epigenetics in Health and Disease: A Review of Recent Advances. Current Environmental Health Reports. 2019 Mar;6(1):1-9.
doi:10.1007/s40572-019-0225-4
Monday, May 13, 2024
INSIDE GENETIC PREDISPOSITION
PART 1: MUTAGEN HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER EXPOSURES
By: Lennard M. Gettz, Ed.D / Edited by: Roberta Kline, MD
First responders of every branch (police, firefighters, paramedics), as well as construction cleanup contractors, were exposed to the many toxic hazards around the World Trade Center (WTC) as a result of the events on 9/11/2001. For the more than 91,000 individuals involved in this massive response and cleanup effort [1], exposure to the toxicants from dust, smoke, and incendiary chemicals has led to concerns for cancer, diseases, and other health injuries post-exposure. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act enacted the World Trade Center Health Program, a federal commitment to offer comprehensive care for 9/11-related conditions. [2]
Numerous environmental contaminants have been shown to have potential carcinogenic (cancer-causing) consequences. [3] Events such as 9/11 are just some of the scenarios that have alerted government agencies, the medical community, and individuals to study the types of common cancers from each scenario. These exposures also bring new (and heightened) concerns for gene mutations that may be inherited or passed down to the next generations of those directly impacted.
"Learning about how cancer and other illnesses work... I would hate to contract this on the job and give this to my kids", states FDNY Ret. FF Sal Banchitta- 9/11 responder. "Firefighters get a lot of training and gear to protect us from exposure- but let's face it... part of the risk of the job is that there IS no 100% guarantee- ever! Looking back on all this, from the local house fires of burning plastics and PVC's to the many chemicals and airborne poisons in ground zero-- exposure came from anywhere. You can only hope that you're not someone who's predisposed, but you never know."
According to the NCI (National Cancer Institute), up to 10% of all cancers may be caused by inherited genetic changes. Cancer itself (or genetic changes in tumor cells) cannot be inherited by children of cancer patients but a genetic change or mutation that increases the risk of cancer can be passed down (inherited) if it is present in a parent's egg or sperm cells. It is for this reason why cancer may sometimes appear to run in families. [4]
WTC-RELATED CANCERS: There are now more than 15 cancers specifically associated with exposure to the WTC toxins, with prostate and breast cancer being among the top 3. [5]. Not only do survivors have higher rates of these cancers, but they are often more aggressive. Recent research has demonstrated that DNA mutations and epigenetic changes due to toxin exposures may play a role. [6, 7, 8]
PART 2: TODAY'S GENETICS
In an exclusive interview about the science of gene expression, genomic specialist Dr. Roberta Kline, professor at the University of Western States, offered clarity on the fundamentals of the human blueprint: what DNA is, what it does, the impact of alterations to DNA on health, and how this is influenced by environmental exposures.
Genes are specific regions of DNA that contain the code for all of the proteins that run our biology. Gene expression is the ultimate result of this complex process, and gene expression research has greatly accelerated the study of human biology and improved the practice of medicine. Up until the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, much of the focus had been on studying rare mutations linked to specific inherited diseases and cancers. We now know that these alterations of the DNA code are not the only ways people can be predisposed.
The most common types of changes in DNA are called SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms), and we each have millions of these. These SNPs can alter our biochemistry and biology, but they typically have a much smaller effect individually than mutations. However, the additive effect of multiple SNPs can create significant predispositions to (or protection from) most diseases, including cancer.
The latest gene expression research has added a third layer called epigenetics. Epigenetic changes don’t affect the DNA or genetic code itself. Rather, they respond to environmental cues to control when genes are turned on or off. Therefore, epigenetic changes can be easily modified throughout a person’s lifetime.
These processes all work together, and all of them can be inherited. Depending on diet, lifestyle, exercise, stress, medications, and environmental exposures, their impact can be increased or decreased. For example, someone with mutations, SNPs, or epigenetic changes that impair their ability to detoxify environmental chemicals can have a higher risk of DNA damage that can lead to disease or cancer. Diet and lifestyle strategies can counteract some of this risk - or can make it worse. This can help explain why not everyone exposed to the same toxins is affected in the same way, and why the same dietary and lifestyle factors can affect people’s health differently.
GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TESTING
With the existence of cancers in the family, physicians may recommend genetic testing. Inherited mutations account for approximately 10% of all cancers, and these tend to be more aggressive and occur at an earlier age. [8] Genetic mutations have been identified for certain forms of pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, or breast or ovarian cancer. These tests for cancers such as Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic are known to target pathogenic/ly pathogenic (P/LP) variants associated with increased risk (including BRCA1, BRCA2, CDH1, PALB2, PTEN, and TP53, and recommended approaches to genetic counseling/testing and care strategies in individuals with these P/LP variants. [10, 11]
Genetic testing supports proactive prevention initiatives and active surveillance for these specific cancers that continue to prevail. Gene SNP testing can further support personalized prevention and screening strategies. While epigenetics is emerging as another tool in efforts to identify predispositions and personalize strategies, it is still more informative than prognostic at this time.
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HOW TO HANDLE ON-THE-JOB INJURIES AND MINIMIZE HEALTH RISKS
| Written by: Robert Bard, MD |
Work related injuries take a toll on the employees as well as the company. With reduced productivity and health insurance payments, the company can suffer heavy financial setbacks. This is why most companies have realized the importance of increasing awareness when it comes to the workplace. Injuries at the workplace are more common than ever. Although manual handling is the most common cause of workplace injuries, sedentary jobs may also put employees at risk of Repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) and lung issues.
Awareness: When it comes to sedentary jobs, posture and height may be doing most of the damage. Educate employees of the best posture and height of their chair in order to minimize the strain and reduce chances of an injury (Cornelio, 2010).
Policy Creation: The very first thing that employers need to do is create a health and safety policy. This policy should be included and presented to employees along with all other contracts and policies in the workplace. This will let your employees know that safety and health are a primary objective.
Health and Safety Program: The health and safety of employees is the responsibility of the employer. A health and safety program is mandatory for any company employing more than 20 individuals (CDC, n.d.)
Control Hazards: Many hazards may be unavoidable depending on the nature of work and the product being created. Some occupations entail more risks than others. If an employee is putting themselves at risk, then it is the employer’s responsibility to identify all hazards and minimize the risks.
Safety Equipment: Safety equipment may be very little and very large. In sedentary jobs, employers need to worry about the provision of ergonomic chairs and keyboards whereas in manufacturing industries they need to worry about safety helmets, jackets, and other similar equipment.
Document Incidents: Accident history may help identify the problems that caused injuries in the workplace. Small details such as correctly fitting equipment may be the cause of an accident. Once the causes of injury are identified, employers can work towards their rectification (WCB, n.d.)
Training Sessions: Train employees and increase awareness about practices which may help minimize workplace injury. Motivate them to keep safety a personal priority, and encourage them to be on a lookout for safety hazards in the company.
Report Procedure: While avoiding injuries would be ideal, we are not living in a perfect world. Notify employees of the protocol that needs to be followed in case of an injury. Who will the employee report to? Is there an in-house clinic that they have access to? How will the severity of damage be assessed? (WSIB, 2014)
Maintaining a safe and healthy workplace is the responsibility of the employer. Safety should be the primary goal of the company and is not only beneficial for employees but also employers.
Once employees are aware of the hazards that they face and the measures that can be taken to prevent them, they can work towards its minimization. This would mean less days of work as a result of injury and increased employee productivity.
This pioneering initiative, debuting with a pilot at Montecito Fire Department, brings together advanced screening technologies, detox strategies, and brain-based stress recovery tools to address the cumulative effects of environmental and emotional hazards faced by today’s fire professionals.
• BrainTap NeuroRelaxation: Light and sound-guided therapy to reset brainwave patterns, improve sleep, and regulate the nervous system.
Dr. Valle-Montoya championed the inclusion of this program into F.A.C.E.S.' prevention and rehabilitation offerings, advocating for a more complete understanding of how cumulative exposures affect firefighter health over time. By uniting clinical insight with a strong advocacy platform, she is helping evolve fire service healthcare from reactive to proactive—ensuring firefighters receive personalized, data-driven assessments and interventions that support long-term resilience and early intervention strategies. Her efforts mark a turning point in how occupational illness is addressed within the emergency responder community.
A pioneer in integrative diagnostics, Dr. Bard also promotes complementary technologies such as PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) therapy, biofeedback, and near-infrared imaging as part of a whole-body functional medicine approach. His expertise provides vital clinical validation to the wellness protocols used in this California-based pilot.
Dr. Bard and Dr. Valle-Montoya both serve on the medical board of F.A.C.E.S. (Firefighters Against Cancers & Exposures), reinforcing a shared commitment to advancing early detection and occupational safety for emergency responders nationwide.
