Health Report: Gene genius?
We've always thought that whether we got illnesses or diseases was predestined, thanks to our genetic make-up. But, says JEROME BURNE, new research suggests we might be able to change our medical prognosis - and alter the genes we pass on to our kids
Everyone, at some point in
their life, will have been quizzed by a doctor or health
professional about their family history. What did your parents die
of; any cases of cancer or heart disease among your relatives? Any
of them suffer from obesity or rheumatism? The idea behind it, of
course, is that your genes are passed through them and, since
certain genes make certain illnesses more likely, a family history
will give you some idea of what to expect.
It makes perfect sense and fits with what we all understand about genes and inheritance, but it's wrong. Or at least it's not the whole truth. There's a new way of looking at genetics and it's going to have a big impact on health and medicine. That's because scientists now know it's not just parents' genes that can affect your chances of getting ill, but how they lived and what happened to them. If they smoked or gorged themselves when they were young or were exposed to pesticides, your health could suffer.
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