Genes

Genes, Environment-Lifestyle, and Common Diseases

• Prevalence rate is the proportion of the population affected by a disease at a specific point in time.
• The incidence rate is the number of new cases of a disease reported during a specific period, divided by the number of individuals in the population.
• The ratio of the disease among the exposed population to the disease rate in an unexposed population is referred to as the relative risk.
• Empirical risks for most multifactorial diseases are based on direct observation of data.
• Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is caused by a reduction in the number of LDL receptors on cell surfaces.
• Obesity is the most important risk factor for hypertension, influenced by genetic factors and lifestyle.
• An autosomal dominant form of breast cancer accounts for approximately 5% of breast cancer cases in the United States.
• If a woman has one affected first-degree relative, her risk of developing breast cancer doubles.
• The offspring of an alcoholic parent have a fourfold increased risk of developing the disorder, even when raised by nonalcoholic parents.
• Clinical trials using recombinant leptin have demonstrated moderate weight loss in a subset of obese individuals.
• BRCA1 mutations increase the risk of ovarian cancer among women (20% to 50% lifetime risk).
• BRCA2 mutations also confer an increased risk of ovarian cancer (10% to 20% lifetime prevalence).