Some candidates for this procedure are people over 50 and those with a family history of colon cancer. Although family history is not necessarily one's destiny, it becomes increasingly important in monitoring disease. The additional information medical science continues to discover about the complex interplay between genetics and environment is important. The need to monitor diseases increases with inherited disorders and also with having a first-degree relative who is afflicted. Since family history is not a 100 percent indicator, it might be useful to check on some lifestyle changes, which could impact the likelihood of disease development in my family or myself.
Genes can also contribute heavily to some mental disorders.
However, even among twins, a poor diet, smoking, alcohol abuse, and inactivity seem to increase the odds of getting cancer more than a strong family history. A person's lifestyle has a significant impact on health regardless of genetics, so a closer look at mine could be beneficial. In a five-year study, African Americans in Indianapolis came down with Alzheimer's 2.2 times as often as residents of Ibadan, Nigeria. Scientists attribute this difference to the diet of the Nigerians, which consists mainly of vegetables. Diet can have a long-term impact on even a genetically based disease, so establishing proper eating habits is important.