Susceptibility to disease Flashcards
What is susceptibility to disease?
According to World Health Organisation, most diseases involve environmental factors and the complex interaction of many genes. In other words, although an individual may not be born with a disease, their genetic make-up may make them susceptible to acquiring it later in life. Diseases and disorders that are more likely to happen in individuals with a susceptibility include certain types of cancer, diabetes and high blood cholesterol.
What is cancer?
There are over 200 types of cancer. Cancer is a cell disease that results in them becoming abnormal and dividing to make even more abnormal cells. Most cancers attributed to environmental and lifestyle factors. For example, lung cancer is closely linked with tobacco and skin cancer to over exposure to UV light. It is estimated that 40 percent of cancers can be prevented by making different lifestyle choices such as diet, not smoking, reducing alcohol intake, exercising and avoiding environmental factors such as sun or asbestos dust.
Some people are more at risk due to inherited gene faults that increase their risk. There are several cancers where genetic link has been shown (Breast, bowel, womb, kidney). For those with faulty gene, getting cancer isn’t inevitable although an unhealthy lifestyle will increase the risk.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is an increasingly common, chronic condition. Environment and lifestyle are likely to play a role in type 2 (later diabetes), there’s a strong predisposition to developing both type 1 (early onset, insulin- dependent) diabetes. The genetic risk of developing type 1 diabetes is higher if either, or both biological parents have diabetes. The risk for developing type 2 diabetes is almost 90% if you have an identical twin with diabetes.
What is high blood cholesterol?
High blood cholesterol
Lifestyle factors such as unhealthy diet, smoking, lack of exercise increase the chance of having high blood cholesterol for most people. Too much cholesterol (Fatty substance carried by proteins) can lead to build-up in walls, causing heart and cardiovascular disease.
Another reason may be familial hypercholesterolemia which is in an inherited condition caused by gene alteration inherited from parents, people with this type of high blood cholesterol are born with it and it can lead to early heart problems unless treated. In the UK approximately 1 in 600 people have this condition and there’s a 50% chance that a child/sibling of someone diagnosed with this condition will also have it
