Heredity is one of the most amazing phenomena in human history. In fact, in addition to looks, parents may also bring you some diseases.
When a family member has a certain disease, how much is the risk of our own illness?
Life Times (search for "LT0385" in WeChat to follow) interviews experts, tells you which looks and diseases are hereditary, and reveals the magic code of DNA for you.
Experts interviewed
Luo Rongcheng, National Second Professor of Oncology, Southern Medical University
Zhang Kai, deputy director of the Cancer Prevention Physical Examination Center of the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Seven appearances are passed on to the next generation
There are some general laws to follow in the inheritance of physiognomy. According to the size of the genetic predisposition or probability, it is divided into:
Absolute genetics: including skin color, chin and double eyelids, etc.;
There is more than half the probability of inheritance: including height, fat and thin, etc.;
Acquired plasticity: including voice, leg shape, etc.
01
height
70% of a person's height depends on heredity, and the influence of acquired factors accounts for only 30%. Generally speaking, if the parents are taller, the chance of the child being tall is 3 and the chance of being short is 1.
02
Fat skinny
People with a low metabolic rate are prone to gain weight, which is determined by genetic factors in body shape.
If one of the parents is obese, the chances of the child getting fat are 30%. If both parents are obese, the chance of the child gaining weight is 50% to 60%.
03
complexion
Skin color is genetically based on the natural law of "multiplying and then averaging".
If one of the parents is darker and one is whiter, then after the embryo is "averaged", the child is given a neutral skin color that is neither black nor white.
04
eye
The influence of the shape of a parent's eyes on the child is obvious. As long as one of the parents has big eyes, the likelihood of having a child with big eyes will be larger. Double eyelids, eye color, and eyelashes are also inherited.
05
nose
In general, people with large noses, high noses, and wide nostrils are dominantly inherited. One of the parents has a straight nose bridge, and it is very likely that it will be passed on to the child.
06
ear
The shape of the ear is inherited. As long as one of the parents has big ears, then the child is very likely to have two big ears.
07
lower jaw
If either parent has a prominent large chin, the child will be the same nine times out of ten.
5 common cancers are more easily inherited
Of all the diseases, cancer is one of the most feared.
A large number of studies have shown that tumors are a class of multi-gene genetic predisposing diseases, and there is a phenomenon of familial aggregation. Does cancer in the father's generation necessarily be passed on to the next generation?
In 2013, angelina Jolie, a well-known Actress in the United States, underwent a preventive bilateral breast resection.
The reason is that through genetic testing, she found that she had inherited the mutated cancer susceptibility gene brca1 from her mother, and the chance of breast cancer was as high as 87%.
Before the onset of the disease, or even without any signs of the disease, she voluntarily removed both breasts. After completing breast resection, her risk of breast cancer dropped to 5 percent.
In fact, different types of tumors are hereditary and large. The following 5 cancers are more easily inherited:
01
breast cancer
In general, if one of the mothers or sisters in the family has breast cancer, the chance of their daughter or sister developing breast cancer is about 3 times higher than that of the average woman.
Recommendation: Minimize estrogen and various foods containing estrogens and avoid surgical trauma.
02
Ovarian cancer
About 20% to 25% of epithelial ovarian cancers are associated with genetic factors. Family history of breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancer may all contribute to an increased risk of ovarian cancer among women in the family.
Recommendation: Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect early, and it is recommended that women with a family history of ovarian cancer consider BRCA genetic testing.
03
Colorectal cancer
For people over 50 years of age, if more than 1 first-degree relative (parents, children and siblings) develop colorectal cancer, the risk of colorectal cancer increases from 1.8% to 3.4%, and if more than 2 first-degree relatives develop colorectal cancer, the risk rises to 6.9%.
Recommendation: Preventive screening (colonoscopy or fecal occult blood test) should be done from the age of 40 or even earlier, and the stool occult blood test is best done 1 to 2 times a year.
04
gastric cancer
Among all gastric cancer patients, 10% have a clear tendency to family aggregation. Relatives of gastric cancer patients are 2 to 3 times more likely to have stomach cancer than others.
Recommendation: Gastroscopic screening should be done as early as possible and regularly for first-degree relatives of patients over 40 years of age who are first-degree relatives of gastric cancer patients.
05
Endometrial cancer
According to statistics, about 5% of all endometrial cancer patients are caused by hereditary factors, and the age of onset of these patients is 10 to 20 years younger than the average age of sporadic endometrial cancer patients.
Recommendation: Menopause, menopause is a high incidence of endometrial cancer, once there is abnormal vaginal bleeding, bloody vaginal discharge and other early symptoms, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible.
Of all cancers, only 5% to 10% have a clear genetic predisposition.
If one person in the family has cancer, there is no need to talk about cancer discoloration;
If 2 to 3 people in immediate family members develop the same cancer, there is a high suspicion of familial predisposition to cancer, but it must be investigated by genetic testing.
Cancer is a chronic disease, from the onset to the advanced stage generally take 5 to 20 years, people with a family history of cancer, adhere to a healthy lifestyle, do early tumor screening, can delay or prevent cancer.
These chronic diseases may be "innate"
Can the disease be "innate"? This is by no means empty. The following 8 diseases are likely to come from the inheritance of parents:
01
hypertension
If both parents have hypertension, the probability of their children developing hypertension in the future is 45%; if one parent has hypertension, the probability of children suffering from hypertension is 28%; the probability of children with normal blood pressure in both parents is only 3%.
Recommendations: People with family history, adhere to regular blood pressure detection; control obesity, quit smoking and limit alcohol; limit salt and potassium supplementation, control the daily intake of salt to less than 5 grams, and eat more fruits and vegetables containing potassium.
02
Dyslipidemia
Dyslipidemia is often familial and has a clear genetic predisposition.
Recommendation: Control the amount of diet, but the variety should be as rich as possible, choose low-fat foods, increase vitamins, dietary fiber, and control weight.
03
diabetes
If one parent has diabetes, the probability of the child getting the disease is about 40%, and if both parents have diabetes, the child's chance of getting the disease is as high as 70%.
Recommendation: Regular physical examination, the physical examination needs to check the intravenous blood glucose on the fasting stomach, and if possible, a 75-gram glucose stress test can be performed to detect prediabetes as soon as possible.
04
osteoporosis
The mother suffers from osteoporosis, and the risk of the daughter's fractures, hunchbacks, and bending over has increased greatly.
Recommendation: Get plenty of sun, supplement with calcium, vitamin D and collagen.
05
senile dementia
Senile dementia is a polygenic genetic disorder in which people with Senile dementia in parents or brothers are 4 times more likely to develop senile dementia than those without a family history.
Tip: Keep a positive mindset and participate in more social activities.
06
corpulent
If one parent is severely obese, the child's chance of being overweight is 40%; if both parents are obese, the child's chance of being obese is as high as 70%.
Recommendation: After the child is 2 years old, the body should be checked on time, and the doctor should judge whether the body mass index is normal, so as to detect the problem early.
07
Allergies, asthma
If one of the parents has asthma or is allergic to pollen, dust, etc., the child's chance of getting sick is 30% to 50%, and if the parents both have asthma or allergies, the child's chance of getting sick is 80%.
Recommendation: Early treatment in childhood can reduce adult morbidity. Stick to breastfeeding and choose formula with few allergens.
8
depression
The probability of depression in relatives of people with depression:
The number of first-level relatives (parents, compatriots, children) is 14%, the number of second-level relatives (uncles, uncles, aunts, aunts, uncles, grandparents or grandchildren, nephews and nephews) is 4.8%, and the number of third-level relatives (cousins and cousins) is 3.6%.
Recommendation: If there is often sullenness, significant weight increase or decrease, insomnia or excessive sleep, restlessness, lack of concentration, there are thoughts of taking a life, etc., go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time.
Genetic disorders decrease with age
Scientists at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom have found that early in life, the disease is most affected by genetic factors, and other factors will dominate as we age.
Therefore, reasonable diet, regular exercise, smoking and alcohol cessation, psychological balance, and maintaining good living habits in life are important factors to reduce the incidence of disease. ▲
Editor of this issue: Liu Yunxuan