The completion of the Human Genome Project has enabled the development of diet plans based on the genetics of an individual. A genetic diet is not a specific diet; rather, it is a type of diet that uses an individual’s unique genetic...
Although researchers have not pinpointed all the physiological aspects that contribute to the ease or difficulty of weight loss, they have concluded that genetics play an important role. For example, studies of identical twins and studies of...
National statistics on colorectal cancer are staggering: More than 150,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. It is the third most common cancer in both incidence and mortality, and no cause can be identified in 80 percent to 90 percent of cases....
An addiction to alcohol, also referred to as alcoholism or alcohol dependence, is at least partly determined by genes. This does not mean that if your parents were alcoholics, you are doomed to become an alcoholic yourself. Instead, it means the...
People who are lactose intolerant cannot digest lactose, the primary sugar found in milk and dairy products. Lactose intolerant individuals suffer bloating, gas and other intestinal problems when they ingest foods containing lactose. Lactose...
Your environment, genes and lifestyle all influence the development of aging skin. From birth to death, the human body constantly undergoes changing, reaching physical maturity in adulthood and declining in human growth hormones thereafter. In...
Crohn's disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, occurs as part of a complex interaction between the environment and the immune system. Heredity and genetics often play a part in whether or not you are susceptible to developing the disease....
Hair loss comes in many forms, but the type of hair loss most people inherit from their relatives through genetics is androgenic alopecia, commonly known as male pattern baldness. Although the term suggests that the condition affects only men,...
Much of the scientific inquiry into the genetic causes of ADHD focuses on the genetic processes involved with the production and distribution of dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical produced by the brain which is thought to play a central role in the...
Hair loss is a condition characterized by alterations in your normal cycle of hair growth that cause you to lose hair without adequate replacement. In some cases, your hair loss may stem from causes such as stress, improper hair care or...
Millions of Americans are overweight or obese in the U.S. putting them at risk of developing some forms of cancer, gallstones, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and breathing difficulties. Obesity is the result of a...
Lou Gehrig's disease, also called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a neurodegenerative disorder. It is characterized by a loss of motor neurons---nerve cells that control muscle movement throughout the body. Patients with ALS develop...
Only five to 10 percent of ALS cases are hereditary and are known as familial ALS. Familial ALS can be linked to mutations in specific chromosomes in our DNA, or our "blueprints." The vast majority of ALS cases are not hereditary and are believed...
Cholesterol is a substance which is made up of fat, is made in the liver and is waxy. Cholesterol is found in every cell in our body and has many vital and important functions. When our body makes more than we can use, the excess is put back into...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to several different lung conditions, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, among others, any of which ultimately damage the lungs so that breathing becomes difficult. Because it is not a...
Dark circles can be caused by too many late nights out and allergies and are fairly easy to treat. Unfortunately, when your dark circles are hereditary, no amount of naps or antihistamines can get rid of them. While you may think your dark circles...
Because genetics plays such a large role in the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, knowing where in your lineage and who has had this disease in the past can help shed light on the level of risk a person may have of developing RA. If a...
A normal, healthy body detects and removes cancerous cells before they spread and cause disease. Mutations in genes that control normal cancer surveillance or that allow abnormal cells to evade it can increase a person's risk for developing...
You already know about heart disease, the number one killer in the U.S. You may not know that you don't have to be one of its victims. The long-held belief that you are doomed to develop heart disease if it runs in your family holds little water...
Scientists have found that people with chronic fatigue syndrome have high levels of allostatic load in their bodies. Allostatic load is a stress measure based on hormone secretions that measures the so-called "wear and tear" on your body. There...
A number of risk factors contribute to high cholesterol. Some are within your control, such as a sedentary lifestyle, weight, smoking and drinking alcohol. Others, such as genetics, are out of your hands. Although high cholesterol in general...
There is no single simple cause for alcoholism. Rather, medical experts believe that alcoholism develops from a combination of interrelated genetic and environmental factors. The Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota reports a...
Genetics is the process in which parents pass certain genes onto their children. An abnormal gene that is passed down through the family may have only minor consequences, or it may have a dramatic impact on one's quality of life. Abnormal genes...
Genetic diseases, as defined by The University of Utah, are either a mutation in one gene, or the addition or subtraction of a chromosome or set of chromosomes. Examples of genetic diseases include various cancers and Down syndrome. No one can...
Many skin conditions are genetic. Most of these conditions are inherited, though some do occur from a sporadic change in the DNA of a gene. These conditions cause a variety of symptoms such as very dry, tight skin; blistering; and abnormal skin...
Genetic mutations cause permanent changes in a DNA sequence that makes up a gene, according to Medline Plus. Mutations can range in size, varying from a single DNA block to a large segment of a chromosome. Individuals inherit genetic mutations...
In the last 30 years, many of advances in science and technology have created more personalized health care and consumer products. Genetic testing for disease risk allows you to gain information on vulnerability to inherited diseases. The testing...
All inherited characteristics are encoded by genes. Some simply distinguish people from one another, such as hair color. Abnormalities of one or more genes, particularly recessive genes, are fairly common. Every human being carries six to eight...
The mouth, also known as the oral cavity, describes the part of the body bound by the cheeks, lips, palate and floor of the mouth. The mouth contains the tongue, teeth, the gums and bones supporting the teeth and the salivary glands. Genetic...
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