Family history and genetics are only two of the risk factors associated with breast cancer. Women who carry mutations of certain genes (such as BRCA1, BRCA2, or p53) are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer than women with no known risk factors. As stated earlier, 80% of women who develop breast cancer have no known risk factors.

Veterinarians and responsible breeders of purebred dogs and cats are well aware that hip dysplasia and other inherited diseases can be controlled by careful, selective breeding programs. DNA tests for specific diseases remain the "gold standard" in determining an animal's genotype, but in the absence of available DNA tests, phenotypic evaluations are the best alternative.

Sarcoidosis has been found to occur in families - however a genetic predisposition to this disease is unproven. If a person has sarcoidosis there may be a slightly increased risk of another family member developing this disease.

The best source to help you find out whether or not you may have a child that is affected with a genetic disease or condition is your doctor. If you are not yet pregnant, blood tests (genetic tests) are available for certain inherited diseases. Potential parents can be tested to tell whether or not they carry a gene that is associated with a disease that may be passed on to their children. For example, a genetic test exists for a disorder called cystic fibrosis.

Recent Articles Submit Articles Top Authors Top Articles Editorial Guidelines Contact Us Article Writing Blog RSS Builder FAQ RSS

Diseases, in the usual sense, are caused by foreign agents: chemicals (poisons), microbes or viruses. Some diseases however appear spontaneously, without an external causing agent. In a way, the simple fact of aging is such a disease (although it is perceived as a normal process). Unlucky persons sometimes see their health suddenly deteriorate, for example because their muscle progressively appear to wear out, until a time when they no longer can walk.

PP contains ingredients specifically to contribute toward a protection against this and other conditions. However no formula can be a guarantee against disease. If you are susceptible to disease however it is always a good idea to help yourself as much as possible by natural protection such as using these ingredients along with other preventative measures, including a good dietary intake of nutrients.

Within some individual families, the presence of sarcoidosis in a first- or second-degree relative has been shown to increase the chance of getting the disease by nearly five-fold. So there is some evidence that the disease can be transmitted to your children, but more research is needed on this topic.

Cerebral Palsy is neither a disease nor a genetic disorder. Cerebral Palsy is a condition with many possible causes, such as birth trauma or brain injury, but it is not contagious or inherited. A birth injury is suffered by the infant at the time of birth or soon after birth when the infant is still in the care of medical professionals. A birth defect, however, occurs during pregnancy and involves factors outside the care of professionals, such as maternal infections or genetic malformations.

In some genetic disorders called "recessive" two individuals will have the symptoms only if he/she receives copies of the defective gene, one from each parent. The parents, that have both a healthy and a defective copy of the gene, are perfectly normal but are at risk of having affected children. In other words, they are healthy carriers. Cystic Fibrosis is an example of a recessive disease.

While several organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommend public banking over private, exceptions are made for cases in which a sibling has a disease that can be treated with a stem cell transplant as in the case of some genetic diseases. This could include diagnoses such as pediatric malignancies, congenital immunodeficiency syndrome, a hemoglobinopathy or lysosomal storage disease.

We have and will always continue to have our dogs screened by our vet for any and all genetic defects.

Our Male Rejuvenator formula contains ingredients specifically to contribute toward a protection against this and other conditions. However no formula can be a guarantee against disease. If you are susceptible to disease however it is always a good idea to help yourself as much as possible by natural protection such as using these ingredients along with other preventative measures, including a good dietary intake of nutrients.

There are a few very rare cases in which Alzheimer's disease does run in families. In these cases, there is a direct link between an inherited mutation in one gene and the onset of the disease. These tend to be cases of early-onset Alzheimer's disease -- affecting those under age 65. In these cases, the probability that close family members (brothers, sisters and children) will develop Alzheimer's disease is one in two.

The "early onset form" that has been found in less than 5% of Alzheimer's disease patients usually affects people younger than 50 and is caused by inheritance of mutant forms of certain genes. In addition, changes in other genes my increase or decrease an individual's risk of developing Alzheimer's. Therefore, family history may hint towards the risk of becoming affected by the disease. (Dr. Ramirez)

Answer: It seems that some people have the genetic predisposition for the development, but this is still under study.

This is the theory that the susceptibility or predisposition to vitiligo is genetic, and that some defect in the genetic structure, makes people more susceptible to vitiligo. While we do see vitiligo in more than one family member about 20% of the time, about 80% of patients report no other family members with vitiligo. Many experts agree that not everyone who is susceptible to vitiligo will necessarily develop it.

Some types of epilepsy run in families. If you have generalized epilepsy, your first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, and children) have about a four-fold increased risk for epilepsy. First-degree relatives of people with partial seizures have twice the risk of developing epilepsy as the general population. Although there is some increased risk, it is important to remember that the overall risk of epilepsy in other family members is still low.

A tissue sample can be obtained by taking blood or by doing a cheek swab. Both ways are reliable. About 15% of those with iron overload do not have mutations of HFE. Genetic testing does not provide information about tissue iron levels.

Genetic tests, also called DNA-based tests, are some of the newest and most sophisticated techniques that we can use to test for genetic diseases. Most tests involve looking directly at the DNA in a specific disease-associated gene. The actual information of each gene is carried within the DNA itself. The DNA can be taken from cells in a sample of blood or, occasionally, from other body fluids or tissues.

Genetic counseling is a communication process which deals with the human problems associated with the occurrence, or the risk of occurrence, of a genetic disorder or birth defect in a family. As part of this process, the patient obtains information regarding diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and inheritance of the genetic condition or birth defect of concern to the family. In some cases genetic testing is available for specific genetic diseases.

You can search various NCBI resources for information. Some resources you might find helpful are OMIM, PubMed, Entrez Gene, and Genes and Disease. The NCBI Resource Guide provides a brief description of each one, as well as a number of other human genome resources. However, please note that NCBI cannot respond to questions regarding personal medical or genetic problems.

There is some research data which suggests that patients who carry the HLA DR4 gene and have Lyme arthritis may be cured of the infection by antibiotic treatment, although their arthritis may not completely respond to the treatment, and may become chronic. The optimal treatment of this type of arthritis is not yet established. More research is needed.

Gene-linked deficiencies in a specific protein have been linked to emphysema, which often exists along with chronic bronchitis. However, studies have yet to link a lack of the protein to chronic bronchitis. Research into this is continuing.

First, some genetic weaknesses are dispositions toward certain diseases, and the diseases show up if we weaken ourselves through unhealthful living. Sunrider products, along with other health principles, can keep us strong so that the dispositions don't show themselves. Or if they've already shown themselves - if we've already experienced the illness, in other words - the products may strengthen the body enough to overcome it.

The H5N1 strain of avian flu has been found in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, Mongolia, Malaysia, and North Korea. More recently it has spread to Russia and Kazakhstan. In 2003, there was an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H7N7 strain in the Netherlands and Germany.

The five-year survival (the amount of people alive five years after detection of the disease) is 14% and, until now, has NOT changed significantly in the past 25 years.