GRAVITY DIAGNOSTICS NAMED A WINNER OF THE GREATER CINCINNATI AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY TOP WORKPLACES 2023 AWARD BY ENQUIRER MEDIA COVINGTON, KY - Gravity Diagnostics has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2023 honor by Enquirer Media Top Workplaces. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few. Gravity Diagnostics, recently one of the presenting sponsors of the inaugural J oe Burrow Foundation Golf Invitational , is a CAP-accredited, CLIA-certified laboratory focusing on diagnostic innovation with a passion for helping to encourage customers to take charge of their individual healthcare journeys.

Gravity Diagnostics Teams Up with Joe Burrow Foundation to Raise Money for Those Experiencing Mental Health and Food Insecurity Issues.

The holiday season is an excellent time to do a little self-check-in on your mental health. After all, a mind that’s in a good place plays a vital role in your overall wellness. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how you think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how you handle stress Stress is a natural and unavoidable fact of life. And that’s not a bad thing. A little bit of stress can go a long way in improving your motivation and focus. It can even increase creativity, personal growth, and help you to know when it’s time to run from a charging bear. Too much stress though — we’re talking those unmanageable and overwhelming amounts (see: bear, charging) — can increase your risk of anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, physical pain, and sleep issues. Since you can’t avoid stress (much to the delight of the stress ball industry) you can stop it from becoming overwhelming with these five tips:

Say you take medication to manage your risk for heart disease. Or you’re recovering from a cardiac event and want to get on the road to feeling better. But what if, after weeks of being on a drug/drug combination, you're not feeling any better? In fact, what if you’re actually feeling worse than you did before you were even prescribed your current regimen? Well, for starters, you could be on the wrong medication . Or, you’re on the right medication, but your dose level is off (i.e. you might be taking too much of it or not enough.)

A breast cancer diagnosis is the forced first step on a journey that you had no intention of taking. The next step, and one that’s more in your control, is seeking out the best care possible and the most effective treatments. But before beginning treatment for breast cancer, knowing how your body will respond to certain medications that may be prescribed to fight it can have a significant impact on your recovery and overall well-being. Pharmacogenetics can help predict your body’s response to various medications and ensure that the right cancer drug regimen is customized to cooperate with your specific physiological makeup.

October is National Depression Education & Awareness Month According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 16.2 million adults in the U.S. suffer from major depressive disorder. As a result, suicide is the third major cause of death for those aged 15 to 24 and is continuing to rise. Depression is defined as: “A complex condition that can affect people no matter the age, gender, race, or life situation. It’s a chemical imbalance in the human brain that needs immediate medical attention.” Depression is also difficult on the victim’s family and friends. For those who have never experienced depression, it is tough for them to comprehend. There isn’t always an obvious problem in that person’s life that would make them feel depressed. It is so important to get the conversation flowing and always be aware that this is an issue. It may be a little uncomfortable at first, but being there for people in times of need can save lives. You can spread the word about the negative effects of depression, simply using #depressionawareness on social media. If you or your family have stories, you can share with those that you trust and end up connecting with people that have similar stories. Depression has different triggers. It can stem from a major life event, or can come without any recognizable “cause” at all. Some depression is genetic, but not all. The genetic predisposition to depression is becoming better and better understood every day. It affects your physical body. Frequent headaches, stomach issues, or any other physical symptoms along with mental symptoms are common for those with depression. Depressed people may not look depressed. It’s called the hidden illness for a reason. Some people are good at masking their depression with upbeat and cheerful attitudes. Exercise can help manage depression, because it releases endorphins and improves your mood. Know the Signs: Depressed mood Loss of pleasure in activities Weight loss/gain Appetite change Trouble sleeping or oversleeping Fatigue and energy loss Lack of concentration Suicidal thoughts Guilt or feeling worthless Gravity Diagnostics offers pharmacogenomic testing, which can help individuals suffering from depression find the right medication for them based on their genetic make-up. For more information, visit www.gravitydiagnostics.com , or call (855) 841-7111. https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-depression-education-awareness-month-october/

Have you ever been curious about the prevalence and importance of STIs? Gravity Diagnostics offers STI Testing through urine or e-genital swab for the following STIs: Herpes Simplex Virus 1 & 2 Chlamydia Trachomatis Gardnerella Vaginalis Ureaplasma Urealyticum Mycoplasma Genitalium Trichomonas Vaginalis Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Gravity’s STI requisition form indicates the best patient population to test, and the back of the STI report contains the available CDC treatment guidelines for four different STIs. These guidelines make it easy for physicians to treat a positive result. There are certain types of physicians that have a greater need for STI testing: Rehab/Addiction These patients are considered high-risk for STIs. The mind-altering effects that drugs have on a person can lead to risky sexual behavior, causing them to have a greater chance of being exposed to STIs. Drug abuse weakens the body’s immune system and makes users more likely to engage in risky behavior, such as unprotected sex or multiple sex partners. In 2016, injection drug abuse contributed to nearly 20 percent of recorded HIV cases among men. Behavioral Health Individuals with psychiatric disorders are at high risk for STIs. According to a recent study, patients with mental health disorders were more than 2 times as likely as other patients to have an STI ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15617367 ). A possible explanation for this is that behavioral health patients may have an increased sense of impulsivity, causing them to engage in risky sexual behavior. OBGYN According to the CDC, the bodies of young women aged 15-24 are biologically more prone to STIs. If left untreated, chlamydia and gonorrhea can make it difficult or impossible to get pregnant. Additionally, women who become infected with an STI can pass it to their baby during pregnancy. Pain Management Pain management patients may be on some type of narcotic or heavy-duty pain reliever, which could possibly lead to addiction. These patients may resort to risky sexual behavior as a result of the psychotropic effects of narcotics, or to attempt to alleviate pain. More than 1 million STIs are acquired daily worldwide, and most symptoms lie dormant. Get tested! For more information, visit www.gravitydiagnostics.com , or call (855) 841-7111.