Genetic or Environmental Risks Factors ?

Genes

Environmental

Generally it can be accepted that our genetic factor does play a role in us having diseases including cancers. How much does risks stems from our genes? Perhaps environmental factors have a bigger impact on us being ill.

Dr David B. Agus, MD from University of Southern California in his latest New York best seller book The End Of Illness, presented some revealing statistics on the risk ratio between genetics and environment.  Environmental factors include those ingredients like drugs, foods and toxics that affect us at the cellular level.

It is interesting to note that breast cancers, Glaucoma, abdominal Aneurysm, Sarcoidosis, Lupus have higher risks from our genes. Glaucoma, an eye disease scores the highest at 87 percent. And Prostrate cancer is only 42 percent due to our genes.

The figures below show the percentage ratio between genetic and environment factors affecting the diseases. (The first figure being genetic risk)

Type 2 Dibetes 64:36
Alzheimer Disease 62:38
Muscular diseases 67:33
Breast Cancers 73:27
Obesity 67:33
Colon Cancer 35:65
Crohn Disease 80:20
Celiac Disease 57:43
Graves Disease 64:36
Heart attacks (Male) 57:43
Heart attacks (Female) 62:38
Glaucoma 87:13
Prostrate Cancer 42:58
Lupus 62:38
Lung Cancer 14:86
Stomach Cancer 28:72
Melanoma 21:79
Sarcoldosis 66:35
Abdominal Aneurysm 72:28

Now that you know, please dont' blame on your ancestors.

While you are interested to know your risks to diseases, visit Dr David's blog with disease risks calculators to do a quick review here:

http://davidagus.com/resources/



Take care

Allen Lai