Can We Alter Our Destiny? Score 1 for Nurture vs 0 for Nature

Destiny.  It's where we're headed without any control.  Genetically speaking, we usually think of ourselves as being pre-ordained to some health destiny (outcome) based upon our parents & family history.  Which is why family physicians spend so much time asking questions about family history when meeting patients for the first time.

Yet, we also strongly encourage, no exhort, lifestyle modification, eg better nutritional choices combined w/regular physical activity, which appears to make a difference in some.  But the bigger question is whether lifestyle makes a difference in those who've been dealt a bad hand from their parents.  Or perhaps they should just give up, park themselves in a reclining lounge chair, and eat fast & junk food 24/7/365?

Well, in a study published earlier this week in PLoS (Public Library of Science) Medicine, that should offer a sense of empowerment to all of us, the authors performed genetic testing on 8,114 participants of the global (5 ethnicities) case-control INTERHEART study and on 19,129 Finnish participants of the prospective FINRISK study, both groups of which were compared to matched controls and concluded that what we do affects our outcome.

Specifically, they searched for 4 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism) known to be associated w/heart disease, raising risk by 18-20% compared to those without said SNPs.  More importantly, the authors then analyzed data, concluding that consumption of a prudent diet, high in raw vegetables, fruits, green leafy vegetables, and nuts, by those with high risk SNP, decreased said heart disease risk down to just 2% greater than in those without a high risk SNP.  This contrasts with those w/high risk SNP who consumed very little of a prudent diet which resulted in a 32% greater risk of heart disease compared to those without said SNP.

In other words, this study proves that we can mitigate rather dramatically the risk of genetically pre-ordained heart disease by making appropriate changes to our environment, eg nutrition.  Thus in fact, nurture can overcome nature.  Lifestyle modification trumps genes.  As my sister-in-law has oft told me, "Choose wisely."

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