Consuming Dietary Fiber

Dietary fiber comes from the portion of plants that is not digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. Part of it, however, may be metabolized by bacteria in the lower gut.

Different types of plants have varying amounts and kinds of fiber, including pectin, gum, mucilage, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Pectin and gum are water-soluble fibers found inside plant cells. They slow the passage of food through the intestines but do nothing to increase fecal bulk. Beans, oat bran, fruit and vegetables contain soluble fiber.

In contrast, fibers in cell walls are water insoluble. These include cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Such fibers increase fecal bulk and speed up the passage of food through the digestive tract. Wheat bran and whole grains contain the most insoluble fiber, but vegetables and beans also are good sources.

Sometimes there is confusion as to the difference between crude fiber and dietary fiber. Both are determined by a laboratory analysis, but crude fiber is only one-seventh to one-half of total dietary fiber.

Benefits of Fiber

Insoluble fiber binds water, making stools softer and bulkier. Therefore, fiber, especially that found in whole grain products, is helpful in the treatment and prevention of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. Diverticula are pouches of the intestinal wall that can become inflamed and painful. In the past, a low-fiber diet was prescribed for this condition. It is now known that a high-fiber diet gives better results once the inflammation has subsided.

Low blood cholesterol levels (below 200 mg/dl.) have been associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. The body eliminates cholesterol through the excretion of bile acids. Water-soluble fiber binds bile acids, suggesting that a high-fiber diet may result in an increased excretion of cholesterol. Some types of fiber, however, appear to have a greater effect than others. The fiber found in rolled oats is more effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels than the fiber found in wheat. Pectin has a similar effect in that it, too, can lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood.

Other claims for fiber are less well founded. Dietary fiber may help reduce the risk of some cancers, especially colon cancer. This idea is based on information that insoluble fiber increases the rate at which wastes are removed from the body. This means the body may have less exposure to toxic substances produced during digestion. However, more recent studies have not confirmed the protective effects of fiber in developing colon cancer. A diet high in animal fat and protein also may play a role in the development of colon cancer.

High-fiber diets may be useful for people who wish to lose weight. Fiber itself has no calories, yet provides a "full" feeling because of its water-absorbing ability. For example, an apple is more filling than a half cup of apple juice that contains about the same calories. Foods high in fiber often require more chewing, so a person is unable to eat a large number of calories in a short amount of time.

Sources of Fiber

Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Meat, milk and eggs do not contain fiber. The form of food may or may not affect its fiber content. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables contain just as much fiber as raw ones. Other types of processing, though, may reduce fiber content. Drying and crushing, for example, destroy the water-holding qualities of fiber.

The removal of seeds, peels or hulls also reduces fiber content. Whole tomatoes have more fiber than peeled tomatoes, which have more than tomato juice. Likewise, whole wheat bread contains more fiber than white bread.

Disorders connected with a lack of dietary fibre

The most obvious effect of dietary fibre is on stool bulk.

.Constipation
Constipation is a significant problem in communities where fibre intake is low, but is virtually unknown when the diet is high in fibre.

•Haemorrhoids
Haemorrhoids are common and occur at any age un peoples of all races, both sexes and all occupations. There is also a direct association between haemorrhoids and a highly-refined low fibre diet. This causes constipation, that leads to straining at stool. Increasing the fibre content of the diet will prevent constipation and relieve the symptoms of haemorrhoids.

•Irritable bowel syndrome
Increasing dietary fibre and using a bulking agent may be the only treatment needed for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

•Diverticular Disease
Diverticular disease is unknown in rural Africans who eat a high-fibre diet, but is common in Western societies where many people have a low fibre intake. It is much less common in vegetarians.

•Bowel cancer
The cause of bowel cancer is unknown but there is good evidence that dietary and other environmental factors promote it, at least in genetically-susceptible individuals.

•Diabetes
People with type 2 diabetes benefit from an increase in dietary fibre and resistant starch. A high fibre diet is also likely to be low in fat and this is a further advantage.

•Raised Blood Cholesterol
Some soluble fibre found in oats, psyllium and barley, and also the pectin from certain fruits , can reduce blood cholesterol. Foods high in soluble fibre have benefits for those with high levels of cholesterol in blood, but a diet low in saturated fat is even more important.

Although fiber is important, it is just one part of a properly balanced diet. It is possible that too much fiber may reduce the amount of calcium, iron, zinc, copper and magnesium that is absorbed from foods. Deficiencies of these nutrients could result if the amount of fiber in the diet is excessive, especially in young children.

Fiber supplements are sold in a variety of forms from bran tablets to purified cellulose. Many laxatives sold as stool softeners actually are fiber supplements. Fiber's role in the diet is still being investigated. It appears that the various types of fiber have different roles in the body. Furthermore, fiber may interact wil prescription medications.

For these reasons, avoid fiber supplements. Instead, eat a variety of fiber-rich foods. This is the best way to receive the maximum benefits from each type of fiber present in foods, and obtain necessary nutrients.

Islamic Story 8: Don't treat the evildoer with evil

There was a companion of the king who visited him all the time. He would sit beside him and say, 'Treat the good-doer with good and don't treat the evil-doer with evil for his evil will be sufficient for him.'

Another man envied his position with the king and his good speech. The envious man came to the king and related: 'Your companion that sits beside you claimed that you had a bad smell.'
The king inquired, 'But how can I verify this?'
The man replied, 'Call him to you. He will put his hand on his nose as he gets closer to you.'
The king said, 'Leave, and I will see!'
This man left the king and invited the king's companion to a meal that he had placed much garlic in.

The companion of the king ate and then went to the king as usual and said, 'Treat the good-doer with good and don't treat the evil-doer with evil, for his evil will be sufficient for him.'

The king said to him, 'Get closer to me!' The man moved closer, and placed his hand over his mouth so that the king would not smell the odor of garlic.
The king thought to himself, 'That man was truthful.' The king then hand-wrote a letter and gave it to the companion. The king never wrote anything unless he wanted to give someone a prize or gift.

But this letter was written to one of his administrators and contained the following message: 'When the bearer of this letter comes to you, slaughter him and skin him. Then fill his skin with straw and send him back to me.'
Later, the envious man met the companion of the king on his way and asked, 'What is this letter?'
The companion of the king replied, 'The king has given me a gift.'
The envious man asked, 'Would you give it to me.'
The companion of the king said, 'It's yours.'

The envious man took it and went to the administrator. The administrator said to him, 'This letter is a command from the king to slaughter you and skin you.'
The envious man announced, 'This letter is not mine. I beseech you in the Name of Allah to check with the king before you do anything.'

The administrator informed him that there would be no changes to what the king had written. Then he slaughtered him, skinned him, filled his skin with straw, and sent him back to the king.

In the meantime, the companion of the king returned to the king as usual. The king was shocked and demanded, 'What happened to the letter?'
Companion of the king said, 'So-and-so met me and asked me for it, so I gave it to him.'

The king then challenged, 'Have you said that I have a bad smell?'
The companion of the king rebutted, 'No!'
So the king asked, 'Then why did you place your hand over your mouth?'
The companion of the king answered, 'So-and-so provided me with food that had much garlic in it and I hated that you might smell it.'
The king declared, 'You are truthful. The evil of the evildoer is sufficient for him.'
Noble Qur'an says: "Whoever works righteousness benefits his own soul; whoever works evil, it is against his own soul: nor is your Lord ever unjust (in the least) to His Servants." (41:46)

Mengaibkan Orang Lain:Seronok Kah?

Tanah makam masih merah, air mata belum kering, esak tangis belum pun berhenti tapi.....hanya dalam tempoh sehari semalam, sudah pun ada yang begitu lancang mengaibkan Allahuyarham Baginda Sultan Johor ke-4. Masya Allah, nampaknya akal dan hati nurani sudah bukan lagi menjadi tolok ukur perbuatan seseorang. Ramai yang mengetahui perkara ini, namun ramai pula yang sebetulnya tertanya-tanya: apa ke benda ni?.....berkat tindakan pantas pihak berkuasa demi menjaga maruah kerabat diraja dan nama baik Malaysia tentunya. Alhamdulillah.

Yang saya fahami, dalam Islam hanya ada 2 sebab aib seseorang itu perlu dibuka: pertama, apabila kita hendak menghindarkan seseorang itu dari tertimpa masalah yang lebih besar. Umpamanya, rakan kita A berkenalan dengan B, seorang ceti haram, sedangkan A tidak mengetahuinya. Untuk menghindarkan A dari kemungkinan "terjebak" oleh B, maka adalah patut kita bagi tahu A perkara sebenar agar A boleh menghindarkan diri dari B. Kedua, apabila kita berada dalam proses mahkamah, itu pun tentu sahaja mesti disertai dengan fakta dan bukti yang kukuh.

Kalau kita mengaibkan seseorang yang masih hidup, hakikatnya 99 peratus, orang berkenaan masih ada peluang untuk membela diri, benar atau salah...itu sendiri punya pasal. Tapi kalau kita mengaibkan orang yang sudah mati, apa yang kita harapkan? Adakah kita berharap orang itu akan bangkit dari kubur lalu menyatakan semua kebenaran? Tentu mustahil kan? Kalau anda tempatkan diri dalam posisi sebagai ahli keluarga si mati, apa yang anda rasakan? Tentu sahaja malu, marah dan berbagai perasaan lain bercampur dalam hati.

Besar macam mana pun kebencian kita pada seseorang,tak kiralah pada yang masih hidup atau pun yang sudah meninggal dunia, gunakanlah sedikit timbangan akal budi. Janganlah rasa seronok meluahkan kebencian dan kemarahan dengan membuka aib seseorang. Seandainya perkara sedemikian berlaku pada diri sendiri, tentu anda pun akan merasakan "pahit" nya juga.Fikir dulu sebelum bertindak, jangan sampai kemarahan dan kebencian kita menjadi penghalang kita untuk berbuat ehsan. Tidak akan mulia, orang yang suka menghinakan orang lain dan tidak akan hina, orang yang suka memuliakan orang lain. Wallahu'alam.

Berdialog Dengan Alam Gaib

Pernahkah anda membaca sebuah buku bertajuk "Dialog Dengan Jin Muslim"? Saya tak berapa ingat siapa penulisnya, tapi saya sudah berkali-kali membaca buku berkenaan sejak pertama kali diterbitkan di Indonesia pada sekitar tahun 90-an. Sebagaimana tajuknya, isinya tentang dialog dengan jin muslim tentunya. Buku itu pernah begitu popular apatah lagi pada masa itu ramai yang "terkena" buatan orang dan ramai juga yang beria-ia nak menuntut ilmu "hitam" dengan tujuan tertentu.

Kali ini saya nak membahas sedikit tentang 2 buah drama bersiri di televisyen: Pushing Daisies dan Ghost Whisperer. Kalaulah saya boleh berjumpa dengan si producer, teringin saya nak soal dia, apa tujuan pembikinan kedua drama ini. Apa sebenarnya message yang ingin mereka sampaikan kepada penonton. Adakah setakat hiburan atau ada unsur lain yang mereka selitkan.Dalam Ghost Whisperer, watak utamanya mempunyai kebolehan untuk melihat dan berdialog dengan ruh orang yang sudah mati, menjadi mediator antara si hantu dan manusia. Alahai, hebat sungguh. Makin hebat, hantu-hantu itu ada kalanya digambarkan berpakaian serba mewah dan seksi, boleh naik kapal pesiar bahkan menikmati hidup alam gaib yang tak berapa beza dengan alam nyata manusia yang masih hidup. Tak kira siang atau malam, mereka boleh keluar dan bersukaria dan main kacau orang sesuka hati, tak kira masa.

Teringat saya dengan pembikinan Puntianak Harum Sundal Malam 2. Ketika itu ramai yang mengkritik, pasal apa si puntianak cantik keluar pada waktu siang, di saat matahari terang benderang, kurang seramlah ia. Hm, Film negara sendiri kita boleh kutuk macam-macam, tapi adakah di antara kita yang kutuk film dan drama buatan mat saleh? Semua pakat enjoy dan tengok je, no comment at all.

Bukan semua orang dianugerahi dengan kemampuan yang bersifat supernatural. kalau ada pun, bukan semuanya asli dan bukan semuanya bertujuan baik. Yang patut kita sedari adalah bahwa kehidupan sesudah mati itu memanglah wujud, tapi taklah "semewah" gambaran dalam Ghost whisperer. Kita juga patut memahami bahwa mati bukanlah akhir dari segalanya. Mati bukanlah satu penyelesaian, sehingga satu ketika dulu ramai anak muda yang terlalu berputus asa lalu nekad memilih bunuh diri sebagai jalan.

Pushing Daisies pula, meski ada terselit unsur humour di dalamnya, makin membuat penonton celaru. Watak utamanya seorang laki-laki, pembuat pai yang mampu menghidupkan dan mematikan kembali seseorang hanya dengan sentuhan jari telunjuk. Hebat betul, kan? Kalaulah saya mempunyai kemampuan serupa itu, perkara pertama yang ingin saya buat adalah menghidupkan kembali semua rakyat palestine,beserta para pejuangnya plus syahidin Hizbullah. Sebagai ganti, ambil nyawa zionis Israel. Senang kan? Tak payah berperang, tak da lagi penderitaan.

Nyawa bukanlah sesuatu yang dapat ditukar ganti sesuka hati ibarat spare part kereta. Sekali ia hilang, maka hilanglah ia selamanya. Mempercayai sesorang itu boleh mati dan hidup kembali sesuka hati dek kerana sesuatu seumpama jari telunjuk,dibimbangi boleh membawa kita ke jalan kekufuran. Kalaulah ada perkara semudah itu, tentu ramai yang nak menggunakannya. Akhirnya makin kacau bilaulah dunia. Silap hari bulan, lebih ramai orang jahat yang hidup daripada orang baik. Na'udzubillah.

Ada kalanya ketika kita menonton sesuatu rancangan di tv, kita perlu bersikap lebih kritis, ertinya tidak menelan mentah-mentah apa yang mereka hidangkan untuk tatapan mata kita. Daripada tengok drama yang tak ketahuan hujung pangkalnya lebih baik cari aktiviti lain yang lebih bermanfaat atau paling tidak pun tidur..... Itu lebih baik daripada mengahabiskan masa dengan sia-sia. Sedar atau tidak, adakalanya apa yang dsuguhkan dalam sesebuah drama atau film, ibarat menjual mimpi,penonton dibuai dengan sesuatu yang indah tapi hakikatnya perkara serupa itu tak kan pernah berlaku. Producer dapat wang bertan-tan denga hasil karyanya, penonton pula...cuma dapat....message kosong. So pikir-pikirkanlah. Walllahu'alam.

Sains: Minat atau Kegilaan

Saya sangat menyukai buku-buku yang berunsur sains futuristik. Mungkin atas sebab itulah saya pun sangat menyukai sebuah drama bersiri The X File, pada satu ketika dulu, meski ceritanya tak lah sehebat mana ketika diangkat ke layar perak. Sekarang sudah pun ada drama bersiri yang hampir serupa, ditayangkan di NTV7....Fringe. Bezanya ialah, dalam The X File semua kes berakhir dengan penuh misteri, tak terungkai. Tapi dalam Fringe, meski tak diketahui apa dan mengapa, setidaknya ada penyelesaian dalam setiap kes yang berlaku.

Sains pada saya adalah sesuatu yang menakjubkan.Apatah dalam Al Quran sendiri, ada begitu banyak sains, baik yang sudah pun terungkai maupun yang masih menjadi tanda tanya. Sains pertama yang saya kenal dari dalam Al Quran adalah mengenai proses terjadinya hujan. Sungguh menakjubkan dan sejak saat itulah minat saya pada bidang sains begitu mendalam, meski tak berkesempatan memperoleh pendidikan dalam bidang itu.

Satu ketika dahulu, ketika signature atau tanda tangan dianggap milik mat saleh sahaja, finger print atau cap jari sering diguna pakai untuk menandatangani dokumen penting. Walhal pada masa itu belum wujud alat pengimbas finger print, sehingga kerap berlaku penipuan seperti perpindahan hak milik atas sesuatu barang dek kerana finger print yang serupa tapi tak sama. Tapi sekarang, finger print bukan setakat penanda identiti seseorang, tapi juga boleh membantu untuk merungkai sesuatu jenayah.

Masa berlalu dengan pantas. Sedikit demi sedikit sains mencapai kemuncaknya. Tengok sahaja Jepun. Dulu my father pernah berkata "negara yang paling maju dalam teknologi kelak adalah Jepun, kerana kesungguhan mereka dalam bidang sains." Dan ternyata kata-kata beliau benar. Sebut sahaja Jepun, sedar atau tidak sedar, perkara pertama yang terlintas dalam minda adalah "robot" atau paling tidak pun "doraemon" si robot canggih dari masa depan.

Guru Geography saya pun pernah berkata" siapa nak tempah lot kat bulan? Bumi ni penuh dah....". Masa tu semua siswa termasuklah saya, tertawa besar di buatnya. Tapi ternyata apa yang beliau katakan boleh dikatakan hampir mendekati kebenaran. Melancong ke bulan, sudah bukan perkara mustahil meski tentunya hanya orang-orang yang benar-benar ber "wang" yang mampu mencapainya.Tiada yang mustahil dalam bidang sains, semuanya terpulang kepada masa dan kesungguhan kita menerokainya.

Akan tetapi di sebalik itu, mungkin ada juga sedikit kebimbangan sama ada sains sedia ada hanya akan memberi faedah kepada masyarakat secara amnya atau mungkin kah ianya digunakan oleh tangan-tangan jahil dan jahat untuk berbuat kerusakan di muka bumi ini. Seperti terciptanya bom atom yang telah pun menjadi sejarah hitam yang menghancurleburkan Hiroshima dan Nagasaki. Mungkinkah sains juga digunakan untuk mencipta sesuatu yang melawan kudrat dan Iradat Ilahi seperti klon pada haiwan dan tumbuhan, bahkan kabarnya ada pula manusia yang diklon kan untuk tujuan yang sebetulnya dibimbangi justru akan menimbulkan lebih banyak kerusakan di muka bumi ini.

Apapun, sebagai umat Islam, kita harus berpegang bahwa ada had dalam setiap perkara. Tuhan ciptakan sains adalah agar manusia mahu berpikir untuk kehidupan yang lebih baik, dalam batasan Iman tentunya, bukan untuk menciptakan huru hara atau bahkan sengaja memusnahkan segolongan manusia lain demi kepentingan pihak-pihak tertentu seperti yang dilakukan oleh Zionis Israel yang tergamak menggunakan bom kimia untuk menghancurbinasakan rakyat Palestine yang jumlahnya tidak seberapa itu, yang kebanyakannya adalah anak-anak kecil, wanita dan orang tua. Wallahu'alam.

Sultan Johor Mangkat

AL FATIHAH.........rakyat Johor dan rakyat Malaysia keseluruhannya, menjunjung kasih dan takziah di atas kemangkatan Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Mahmood Iskandar Ibn Almarhum Sultan Ismail (1932-2010), raja bagi negeri Johor dan jajahan takluknya. Semoga roh baginda dicucuri rahmat. AMIN.

Daulat Tuanku...........Tunku Ibrahim Ismail Sultan Iskandar telah dimasyhurkan sebagai Sultan Johor kelima hari ini.

Tourette Syndrome: Unfamiliar disease

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, stereotyped, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. The disorder is named for Dr. Georges Gilles de la Tourette, the pioneering French neurologist who in 1885 first described the condition in an 86-year-old French noblewoman.

The early symptoms of TS are almost always noticed first in childhood, with the average onset between the ages of 7 and 10 years. TS occurs in people from all ethnic groups; males are affected about three to four times more often than females. Although TS can be a chronic condition with symptoms lasting a lifetime, most people with the condition experience their worst symptoms in their early teens, with improvement occurring in the late teens and continuing into adulthood.

Tics are classified as either simple or complex. Simple motor tics are sudden, brief, repetitive movements that involve a limited number of muscle groups. Some of the more common simple tics include eye blinking and other vision irregularities, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging, and head or shoulder jerking. Simple vocalizations might include repetitive throat-clearing, sniffing, or grunting sounds. Complex tics are distinct, coordinated patterns of movements involving several muscle groups. Complex motor tics might include facial grimacing combined with a head twist and a shoulder shrug. Other complex motor tics may actually appear purposeful, including sniffing or touching objects, hopping, jumping, bending, or twisting. Simple vocal tics may include throat-clearing, sniffing/snorting, grunting, or barking. More complex vocal tics include words or phrases. Perhaps the most dramatic and disabling tics include motor movements that result in self-harm such as punching oneself in the face or vocal tics including coprolalia (uttering swear words) or echolalia (repeating the words or phrases of others). Some tics are preceded by an urge or sensation in the affected muscle group, commonly called a premonitory urge. Some with TS will describe a need to complete a tic in a certain way or a certain number of times in order to relieve the urge or decrease the sensation.

Tics are often worse with excitement or anxiety and better during calm, focused activities. Certain physical experiences can trigger or worsen tics, for example tight collars may trigger neck tics, or hearing another person sniff or throat-clear may trigger similar sounds. Tics do not go away during sleep but are often significantly diminished.

Although the cause of TS is unknown, current research points to abnormalities in certain brain regions (including the basal ganglia, frontal lobes, and cortex), the circuits that interconnect these regions, and the neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine) responsible for communication among nerve cells. Given the often complex presentation of TS, the cause of the disorder is likely to be equally complex.

Many with TS experience additional neurobehavioral problems including inattention; hyperactivity and impulsivity (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder—ADHD) and related problems with reading, writing, and arithmetic; and obsessive-compulsive symptoms such as intrusive thoughts/worries and repetitive behaviors. For example, worries about dirt and germs may be associated with repetitive hand-washing, and concerns about bad things happening may be associated with ritualistic behaviors such as counting, repeating, or ordering and arranging. People with TS have also reported problems with depression or anxiety disorders, as well as other difficulties with living, that may or may not be directly related to TS. Given the range of potential complications, people with TS are best served by receiving medical care that provides a comprehensive treatment plan.

TS is a diagnosis that doctors make after verifying that the patient has had both motor and vocal tics for at least 1 year. The existence of other neurological or psychiatric conditions can also help doctors arrive at a diagnosis. Common tics are not often misdiagnosed by knowledgeable clinicians. But atypical symptoms or atypical presentation (for example, onset of symptoms in adulthood) may require specific specialty expertise for diagnosis. There are no blood or laboratory tests needed for diagnosis, but neuroimaging studies, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT), and electroencephalogram (EEG) scans, or certain blood tests may be used to rule out other conditions that might be confused with TS.

Because tic symptoms do not often cause impairment, the majority of people with TS require no medication for tic suppression. However, effective medications are available for those whose symptoms interfere with functioning. Neuroleptics are the most consistently useful medications for tic suppression; a number are available but some are more effective than others (for example, haloperidol and pimozide). Unfortunately, there is no one medication that is helpful to all people with TS, nor does any medication completely eliminate symptoms. In addition, all medications have side effects. Most neuroleptic side effects can be managed by initiating treatment slowly and reducing the dose when side effects occur. The most common side effects of neuroleptics include sedation, weight gain, and cognitive dulling. Neurological side effects such as tremor, dystonic reactions (twisting movements or postures), parkinsonian-like symptoms, and other dyskinetic (involuntary) movements are less common and are readily managed with dose reduction. Discontinuing neuroleptics after long-term use must be done slowly to avoid rebound increases in tics and withdrawal dyskinesias. One form of withdrawal dyskinesia called tardive dyskinesia is a movement disorder distinct from TS that may result from the chronic use of neuroleptics. The risk of this side effect can be reduced by using lower.

Psychotherapy may also be helpful. Although psychological problems do not cause TS, such problems may result from TS. Psychotherapy can help the person with TS better cope with the disorder and deal with the secondary social and emotional problems that sometimes occur. More recently, specific behavioral treatments that include awareness training and competing response training, such as voluntarily moving in response to a premonitory urge, have shown effectiveness in small controlled trials.

Evidence from twin and family studies suggests that TS is an inherited disorder. Although early family studies suggested an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance (an autosomal dominant disorder is one in which only one copy of the defective gene, inherited from one parent, is necessary to produce the disorder), more recent studies suggest that the pattern of inheritance is much more complex. The sex of the person also plays an important role in TS gene expression. At-risk males are more likely to have tics and at-risk females are more likely to have obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

People with TS may have genetic risks for other neurobehavioral disorders such as depression or substance abuse. Genetic counseling of individuals with TS should include a full review of all potentially hereditary conditions in the family.

Although there is no cure for TS, the condition in many individuals improves in the late teens and early 20s. As a result, some may actually become symptom-free or no longer need medication for tic suppression. Although the disorder is generally lifelong and chronic, it is not a degenerative condition. Individuals with TS have a normal life expectancy. TS does not impair intelligence. Although tic symptoms tend to decrease with age, it is possible that neurobehavioral disorders such as depression, panic attacks, mood swings, and antisocial behaviors can persist and cause impairment in adult life.