[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
[quote]bam7196 wrote:
[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
[quote]anonym wrote:
So, just so we’re clear: no one here thinks there is a genetic component to an individual’s predisposition to any given disease?[/quote]
Some, but not many, and even then it won’t big a big part of it.
IMO, if one were to stay lean (not just skinny) with exercise and proper diet (maybe something like Paleo or darn close) they would almost never develop T2 diabetes, even if everyone in their family has it. Now, is that to say the disease itself is genetically based? Perhaps the parents DNA changed some when they lead a poor lifestyle and it got passed on. I doubt that T2 diabetes is a natural disease in and of itself, if that makes sense.
Both my parents had heart attacks before age 50, so for life insurance that hurts me. Yet, they both smoke, don’t workout, eat garbage…
It was once (and still by many) thought that Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s was greatly genetic, when new research is showing that not to be the case, only a very small % 5-10, even then only half of those would develop it.
The power of diet and exercise IMO is greatly underestimated by the health industry for preventing disease.
Of course, there’s also the environmental factor and stress, but come on. Most diseases are not seen in non-western/industrialized cultures.
How many tigers or lions develop half the disease of man?[/quote]
The key to all of this is that neither side is 100% correct. Type 2 diabetes shows much more of a genetic component than Type 1. This is a predisposition, not an absolute. Those with DM2 in either parent would do well to keep their diet in check as they are more likely to develop the disease, but it is not a certainty; just as a person with no DM2 in their family can certainly develop it with longstanding poor eating/exercise habits.
I actually had to put a guy in the ICU about 3 weeks ago after he came in in DKA with an anion gap of ~34. This was a young, athletically built guy, but his hemoglobin A1C was literally unreadable. This is the type of guy who would likely have a genetic predisposition to DM2 and will have to do VERY well with diet and exercise to maintain a high quality of life (avoiding retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, etc.)
Genetic structure is not changed by diet. Gene expression certainly is, but not the actual DNA which is passed from parent to child.
As far as the Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s: there are subtypes of both of these disease processes, and neither is anywhere near fully classified. It appears there is a familial form of Alzheimer’s, which is very early onset; but has different genetics than other forms of Alzheimer’s (and likely a different genetic locus altogether). There is also a lot of research now into what’s being called Type 3 Diabetes and it’s link to alzheimers, although this is not the leading theory currently. Parkinson’s also involves many of the same themes as above.
Anyway, the new thinking seems to be genetic predisposition + environment (nutrition, exposure) for most disease processes, with neither being the absolute “most important element”.
I totally agree that diet is grossly underestimated in western civ and medicine. As for the “most diseases aren’t seen in non-western countries” comment, what do you mean by this?[/quote]
Tooth decay, heart disease, cancer (certain types seem to be more diet based), Alz, Parkinson’s, T2 diabetes, obesity, etc. I’m not talking about just other countries, I’m referring to societies that are or were largely hunter-gatherers.
[/quote]
Likely diet related: Heart Disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity
Tooth decay and cancer are a little of both (exposure being even more important)
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are likely higher in developed countries but this is an artifact of sorts from the statistics. Both occur in the older demographic and increased life expectancy in western countries (and eastern europe) provides a higher volume of individuals prone to this particular malady. We also have to consider that if a disease process occurs in a population but the people are not followed in a way which allows for that disease to be diagnosed then their numbers will be lower, but not necessarily because the disease is not occurring.
And, although Type 1 diabetes is much less of a genetic process, you are spot on in your thoughts about auto-immune disease playing a large role. This process accounts for a large portion of type 1 diabetes in patients who lose exocrine and endocrine function of the pancreas due to autoimmunity. Your metaphor of genetics loading the gun and exposure/environment firing it is also excellent.
@BBB: the idea that anyone would even be suspected of gout and not told to lower purines in their diet is ridiculous. Very glad you were there to rectify.
What meds was this patient on which made you worry about overwhelming of CYP?
