The prevalence of lifestyle disorders has rapidly risen in the population (young and old), especially in the last few decades. As the name suggests, a lifestyle disorder stems from unhealthy habits or the way an individual lives. However, science has established that some individuals are at a greater risk for disease than others. This variation in disease susceptibility arises from a combination of modifiable and non-modifiable factors such as diet, exercise, environmental exposure and genetics. That is why these health conditions are termed ‘multifactorial’ and ‘complex’, meaning their onset and progression depends on multiple parameters which influence disease physiology.
The following are among the most common lifestyle diseases in the Indian population:
- Hypertension
- Metabolic issues – Obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Depression
Hypertension
While lifestyle factors such as salt/sodium intake, pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and obesity add to the risk for hypertension, genetic factors (including family history) also influence susceptibility. Studies show that up to 50% of hypertension susceptibility can stem from genetic factors.
Metabolic Issues
Obesity, diabetes, HDL/LDL-cholesterol imbalance and elevated triglycerides are complex metabolic conditions influenced by multiple genes. Changes in the sequence of these genes disrupts lipid/fat storage, transport and metabolism. Individuals vary in their susceptibility to gain excess weight and become obese — up to 40–80% of these variations have been traced to genetic factors.
Heart Disease
The impact of genes varies across different heart conditions. Variation in susceptibility to disease is due to a significant genetic component, which could be between 40% and 60%.
Cancer
The genetics behind cancer development is very complex, with several pathways and genes involved — including those which participate in cellular growth and division, programmed cell death (apoptosis), tumour suppressor and oncogene activity, cell cycle regulation and DNA repair.
Depression
About 40–70% of depression symptoms and their progression has been attributed to genetic factors. Genes involved in neurotransmitter signalling, release and function in the brain have been extensively studied.
The gene-environment interaction is an important concept in understanding the etiology of lifestyle disorders. Having high-risk variants alone may not cause lifestyle disease, if appropriate lifestyle interventions are made. Lifestyle disease risk assessment via DNA testing helps you be forewarned about health issues and prevent them with early intervention.
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