Family members not only share genes but they also share a similar environment and lifestyle; therefore, a resemblance in traits may suggest a correlation between genetics and the environmental-lifestyle. Most individuals can determine the traits on the outside which are passed down from generation to generation such as eye color and hair color. Individuals do not always recognize the health traits which are not as visible, like being at risk for certain diseases such as asthma, diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Traits such as high blood pressure are influenced by both genes and environment or a “nature” and “nurture” process (McCance, Huether, Brashers, & Rote, 2010). In most diseases, biological factors such as heredity, age and gender can increase the probability of developing chronic conditions.
Areas identified in the family history which may increase ones risk include but are not limited to: Diseases which occur at an earlier age than expected, diseases which occur in more than one family member, diseases that do not usually affect a certain gender (such as breast cancer in a male) and a combination of diseases within a family (breast and ovarian cancer or heart disease and diabetes) ("Family History," 2013). There are certain groups of individuals which may be predisposed to heart disease, diabetes or cancer, but it doesn’t mean they will definitely develop or suffer from the disease. There are things one can focus on such as diet, stressors and participating in health screenings which gives individuals the ability to decrease the chances of the occurrence of the disease.
An individual can decrease their risk of a disease occurring due to genetic precursors by making modifications to his or her lifestyle and being an active participant in one’s own health. The most important changes in diet and lifestyle which are a benefit to one’s health include: Avoiding tobacco use, maintaining a healthy weight, maintain a healthy diet and perform some type of daily physical activity (Willett et al., n.d.). Avoiding tobacco products is the single most effective way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer (Willett et al., n.d.). Maintaining a healthy weight will help reduce the risk of coronary artery disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Overweight and obese individuals are more likely to be at higher risk of mortality from colon, breast, kidney and endometrial cancer (Willett et al., n.d.).
The author goes into details about Jeff’s family history and his exposure to low cholesterol is linked to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Having a history of cardiovascular disease may temp one to change their lifestyle and eating habits leaning towards a low carbohydrate and more natural diet. It took a turn in Jeff's case when the so-called healthily eating habits were not working in his favor. Moalem stresses on how epigenetics comes into play, Jeff’s pre-exposure to cardiovascular disease was readily detectable but predicting HFI was a challenge. He highlights other situations where he argues that organism genes may be altered and can be expressed differently in environments. Claiming that based on epigenetics, physical activities, experiences, diets, and other lifestyles choices is crucial when it comes to gene expression. Talking about the queen been and worker bees, he emphasizes the fact that they have the same genes. Moalem argues that the genes of these two creatures are expressed differently because of what the queen bee ate. Queen bees are genetically superior since in their diet as a larva they are raised on royal jelly thus their phenotype as expressed differently. In making these claims, he supports the new Idea of epigenetics, which asserts that the genes of a person are not their destiny since they are subject to
Being overweight or obese are risk factors for many chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and … cancers.”
The contributing factor is lack of knowledge and family medical screening. Understanding the history of your genetic line specific to your race and ethnicity may be helpful in preventing heart disease later on in adulthood.... ... middle of paper ... ... Current studies of note have focused primarily on middle-class and/or suburban populations.
Most individual would think that the cause of diabetes, heart disease, or other chronic disease is because of their own unhealthy lifestyle decisions. For instance, most people would think because of smoking, stress, and not enough exercise can have a higher chance of attending those disease. However, Barker have a different point of view. As D.J.P Barker state in his article titled, Fetal and Infant Origins of Adult Disease Hypothesis that adaptations that fetus make when is under-nourished rather than adaptations made in adult life and those made during early development tends to have permanent effect on body's structure and function (Barker, 2001). He hypothesize that low birth weight is a factor contributing to development of coronary heart disease in adulthood but he neglected there are sociological factors during adult life can also trigger the development of coronary heart disease as well. Even though the Fetal Origins Hypothesis used an biological explanation to the development of coronary heart disease but it fails to recognize the sociological factors to coronary heart disease. One's position on the socioeconomic gradient has a contribution to the risk of coronary heart disease.
LG stated that her family stays well educated regarding their health and family history and if they have any questions about the genetic problems in the family, they will typically research the internet and follow up with their general practitioner. LG, her siblings, and their mother are in good health and are not dealing with major medical matters at this time. Interventions for this family should be tailored to help them keep up on current information about heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, which are the main medical issues in their family medical history, and having a plan that ensures they continue getting regular health checkups. In conclusion, it is important for nurses to have proper training and information in the area of genetics and genomics so that it can be used in daily clinical practice (Thompson & Brooks, 2011). Using this information with clients and conducting a detailed genetic nursing assessment is a valuable component of being an effective health care provider and can help clients recognize, prevent, and/or treat diseases that are unique to their particular family.
In conclusion, genograms identify possible genetic predispositions in acquiring hereditary diseases. The author’s genogram allowed for the reflection of prominent family conditions and presented the opportunity for the author to educate herself on modifying behaviors that can reduce their risk for experiencing a stroke. Additionally, Gordon’s activity-exercise pattern and nutritional-metabolic pattern are applied to assess personal risks involved in a stroke. Through employing the nursing process and implementing Gordon’s functional healthh pattern to assess the elements of a stroke, the author was able create interventions to promote their own healthy lifestyle while symbiotically reducing their risks for suffering from a stroke.
The hereditary risk factors for cardiovascular disease are primarily those of which individuals are unable to control, the ones for which they are born with. These risk factors would include an individual’s sex, race, age, and genetics. One out of every five males has some form of cardiovascular disease and the same applies for females. More women than men have cardiovascular disease in this country, but this is only due to the fact that there are more women within the U.S. population (Weiss and Lonnquist, 2011). Men percentage wise are at a higher risk than women. There is a somewhat reduced probability for females to have cardiovascular disease before menopause. This is believed by medical researchers and scientists to be directly related to the natural hor...
Genetics plays a major role in obesity; inherited genes sometimes contribute to the accumulation of fat in the body. Over 200 genes have effect on the weight having repercussions from physical activity, food choices and metabolism. Therefore, genes may increase the vulnerability of a person to become obese. Family eating patterns and social tendencies can also trigger obesity. Moreover, environmental circumstances such as availability of food high in calories and fat and the increase of the portions and combination selections in meals contribute to the development of fat accumulated for years in the body (Whitney & Rolfes, 2011, pg. 277).
...e ever at odds. Disease risk factors are never culture. Disease is not desired by a society.
What makes us who we are? Does the answer lie in our genes, our environment, or in the way we are raised? For years, there has been an on-going debate between nature and nurture. T.H. White, author of The Once and Future King, explores the debate through many of the book’s characters. The issue clearly appears in the relationship of Queen Morgause and her sons, the Orkney brothers. The debate caused people to pick a side, to pick nature over nurture, or nurture over nature. However, it does not have to be one or the other. Nature and nurture work together to determine who we are.
Your genetic information determines the genes you inherit that may cause or elevate your risk of certain medical conditions. My family genogram clearly indicates the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D), heart disease (HD), hypercholesterolemia (HC) and hypertension (HTN). Heart disease is indicated on both maternal and paternal side and even though T2D only shows on my paternal side, the other diseases such as HC and HTN that are on my maternal side are risk factors for developing diabetes. According to Pessoa Marinho et al. (2013), the genetic and environmental risk factors that influence T2D development are: “age, gender, ethnicity, family history, obesity, inactivity, gestational diabetes, macrosomia, hypertension, decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, increased triglycerides, cardiovascular diseases, micropolycystic ovary syndrome, high blood glucose on previous testing, impaired glucose tolerance and glycated hemoglobin ≥5.7%” (Pessoa Marinho et al., 2013, p. 570). Bianco et al. (2013) states, “the maternal influence confirms the hereditary role in the diabetes pathogenesis that women with positive family history to the illness presented...
A few of the chronic health conditions that occur in my family are breast cancer and high blood pressure. My great grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer later in her life, this was a while ago so she did not receive the type of treatment needed. One reason being that in that time period you needed to catch it early on for them to do much with it, and the second reason being that she caught it too late. Breast Cancer is not something that she overcame, since her diagnosis no one else in the family has been diagnosed. My grandmother is getting close to the age where most women are diagnosed but it is not something that has occurred since then. High blood pressure, on the other hand, is something very common in my family. My dad, both grandfathers, and both great grandfathers either currently have or have had high blood pressure. I will be talking about statistics, preventive tactics, exercises, and environmental effects of both breast cancer and high blood pressure.
Family Health Problems Tree The purpose I searched for my family health history was to see what complications may occur in my future or in my family. There are a couple of benefits behind me researching the diseases throughout my family history, including that I can learn what is prevalent which may put me at risk of contracting it, it can help me change my lifestyle to prevent or lower my chances, and help me prepare for what may arise. The diseases that are most prevalent in my family that will most likely affect me or my brothers and sisters are Diabetes, Migraine, High Blood Pressure, and High Cholesterol. Diabetes is a disease that I came across when researching the maternal side of my family history.
Height, hair color, eye color and sex are just a few examples of ways our DNA has shaped us. But could it be possible that our DNA also effects the way we behave in society. It is possible that genetics effect us is more ways that we may have imagined. Dr. Peter B. Neubaur believes that shyness, eating disorders, obsessive behavior and psychological illness can all be traced back to our genetics. Sexual orientation is also believed to be derived from genes in our body which determine what sexual preference we prefer. Violence and other types of crimes can be linked back throughout a person’s lineage to witness that other family members have been committed similar crimes without ever meeting one and other.
The distinction between nature versus nurture or even environment versus heredity leads to the question of: does the direct environment or the nature surrounding an adolescent directly influence acts of delinquency, later progressing further into more radical crimes such as murder or psychotic manifestation, or is it directly linked to the hereditary traits and genes passed down from that individual adolescent’s biological parents? To answer this question one must first understand the difference between nature, nurture, environment, and heredity. Nurture, broken down further into environment, is defined as various external or environmental factors one is exposed to which can be more specifically broken down into social and physical aspects. Nature, itself broken down into heredity, is defined as the genetics and the individual characteristics in one’s personality or even human nature.