Nature vs Nurture: What Causes Common Health Conditions?

https://www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/news/nature-vs-nurture-whats-the-cause-of-common-health-conditions-313919?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=68999448&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--fVormMbVX8pvpufqB1Tvdx1RHr1Nf045ECJeDz9-diNeSklbSusIKxTOxTubj0cI9B11hk9lxws06fJj6pJ5cs8IMZg&_hsmi=68999448 Nearly 40 percent of the diseases in the study (225 of 560) had a genetic component, while 25 percent (138 of 560) were driven at least in part by factors stemming from a shared living environment--conditions emanating from sharing the same household, social influences and the like. Cognitive disorders demonstrated the greatest degree of heritability--four out of five diseases showing a genetic component--while connective tissue diseases had the lowest degree of genetic influence. Of all disease categories, eye disorders carried the highest degree of environmental influence with 27 out of 42 diseases showing such effect. They were followed by respiratory diseases, with 34 out of 48 conditions showing an effect stemming from sharing the same household. The disease category with lowest environmental influence was reproductive illnesses, with three of 18 conditions showing such effect, and cognitive conditions, with two out of five showing such influence. Overall, socioeconomic status, climate conditions and air quality of each twin pair's zip code had a far weaker effect on disease than genes and shared environment--a composite measure of external, nongenetic influences including family and lifestyle, household and neighborhood. In total, 145 of 560 diseases were modestly influenced by socio-economic status derived by zip code. Thirty-six diseases were influenced, at least in part, by air quality, and 117 were affected by changes in temperature. The condition most potently linked to socioeconomic status was morbid obesity. While obesity undoubtedly has a genetic component, the researchers said, the findings raise an important question about the influence of environment on genetic predispositions.