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Genetic pathology should have no effect on future generations.

But this is not absolute.

Brief introduction of disease

Hereditary diseases refer to diseases caused by genetic material changes or controlled by pathogenic genes.

Type of disease

Diseases caused by changes in genetic material, including invisible chromosomal aberrations and gene mutations, are collectively referred to as genetic diseases. According to the change procedure of genetic material involved, genetic diseases can be divided into three categories:

One is chromosome disease or chromosome syndrome. At the chromosome level, we can see the change of genetic material, which shows the change of quantity or structure. Because chromosome diseases involve a large number of genes, the symptoms are usually very serious, involving the distortion and functional changes of multiple organs and systems.

The second is a single gene disease. At present, more than five single-gene diseases have been found, mainly referring to diseases caused by a pair of allele mutations, which are caused by dominant gene mutations and recessive gene mutations respectively. Dominant gene refers to a gene that can cause disease as long as one allele (a pair of genes controlling relative traits located at the same position of homologous chromosomes) is mutated. Recessive gene refers to a gene that causes disease only when a pair of alleles mutate at the same time.

The third is polygenic disease. As the name implies, this disease involves multiple genes. Unlike monogenic diseases, these genes have no dominant or recessive relationship, and each gene has only a slight cumulative effect. Therefore, because the number of pathogenic genes involved in the same disease is different, the severity and recurrence risk of different people can be obviously different, and it is family aggregation. For example, cleft lip is light or heavy, and some people are accompanied by cleft palate. It is worth noting that polygenic diseases are not only related to heredity, but also influenced by environmental factors, so they are also called multifactorial diseases. Asthma, cleft lip, schizophrenia, hypertension, congenital heart disease, epilepsy and many other common diseases are polygenic diseases.

Hereditary diseases refer to diseases that are completely or partially determined by genetic factors, often congenital or acquired. Such as congenital stupidity, polydactyly, congenital deafness and hemophilia. These genetic diseases are completely determined by genetic factors. They do not occur until a certain time after birth, and sometimes it takes years, decades or even decades to show obvious symptoms. For example, Duchenne muscular dystrophy did not appear until childhood; Chronic progressive chorea usually occurs in middle age. Some genetic diseases need the interaction of genetic factors and environmental factors, such as asthma, in which genetic factors account for 80% and environmental factors account for 20%; For gastric and duodenal ulcers, genetic factors account for 30% ~ 40%, and environmental factors account for 60% ~ 70%. Genetic diseases often occur in a family and are familial, but it is also possible that only one patient in a family is sporadic, such as phenylketonuria, because of its low frequency of pathogenic genes and autosomal recessive genetic diseases. Only when both husband and wife carry a pathogenic gene, their children will become homozygotes of this recessive pathogenic gene (both genes at the same gene locus are abnormal) and get sick, so they are mostly sporadic, especially.

So, can genetic diseases be treated?

Previously, people thought that hereditary diseases could not be cured. In recent years, with the development of modern medicine, medical geneticists have made clear the pathogenesis of some genetic diseases in their research, thus providing some basis for the treatment and prevention of genetic diseases, and constantly proposing new treatment measures.

The treatment of genetic diseases mainly includes the following methods:

[Edit this paragraph] Common genetic diseases

Hereditary diseases refer to diseases caused by changes in genetic material. It is congenital, lifelong and familial. There are many diseases and high incidence. At present, more than 3000 genetic diseases have been found, and it is estimated that about 3 ~ 10 newborns suffer from genetic diseases of different degrees.

1. Hypertension

Genetic risk: ★★★★★★★

Scientists have successfully bred a kind of "hereditary spontaneous hypertension" mice. This kind of mice will pass on the gene of hypertension from generation to generation, and their offspring will suffer from hypertension with 100%, which is the most typical example of the close relationship between hypertension and heredity.

At present, most scholars believe that hypertension is a polygenic genetic disease. Through the family survey of hypertensive patients, it is found that the probability of their children suffering from hypertension in the future is as high as 45%; If one parent suffers from hypertension, the probability of children suffering from hypertension is 28%; The probability that a child's blood pressure is normal is only 3%.

Prevention and control principle

1. Keep monitoring blood pressure, normally at least 1 time a year.

2. Limit salt and supplement potassium. Gradually control the daily salt intake to 5g, and eat more fruits and vegetables rich in potassium (such as bananas, walnuts, lotus seeds, parsley, amaranth and spinach). ).

3. Prevent overweight and obesity.

4. Quit smoking and limit alcohol.

2. Diabetes

Genetic risk: ★★★★★★★

Diabetes has obvious genetic susceptibility (especially the most common type 2 diabetes in clinic). Family studies have found that the prevalence of diabetes in people with positive family history is significantly higher than that in people with negative family history. Children whose parents have diabetes are 15 ~ 20 times more likely to have diabetes than ordinary people.

Prevention and control principle

The "external causes" of diabetes are excessive calorie intake, reduced activity, obesity, smoking and excessive psychological pressure. Conversely, avoiding the above factors can prevent diabetes. In terms of diet, it is necessary to achieve a reasonable mix of grain, meat, eggs, milk, vegetables and fruits, and pay attention to the balance between intake and consumption. Always measure your weight. If you gain weight, you will definitely consume too many calories. At this time, you should review your diet and increase exercise.

3. Dyslipidemia

Genetic risk: ★★★★

There are many reasons for abnormal blood lipid metabolism, and genetic factors are one of them. With the development of medicine, it is found that a considerable number of patients with dyslipidemia have one or more genetic defects. Dyslipidemia caused by genetic defects has family aggregation and obvious genetic tendency, which is commonly known as familial dyslipidemia in clinic.

Prevention and control principle

The most important thing is to emphasize "open your legs and close your mouth". On the one hand, we should limit our diet appropriately, but try to enrich the variety of food, choose low-fat foods (vegetable oil, yogurt), increase vitamins and cellulose (fruits, vegetables, bread, cereals), and control our weight. At the same time, strengthen exercise, let the heat be consumed, so as to avoid fat accumulation in the body.

4. Breast cancer

Genetic risk: ★★★★

Breast cancer has obvious familial genetic tendency. Epidemiological investigation shows that 5% ~ 10% of breast cancer is familial. If a close relative has breast cancer, the risk will increase by 1.5 ~ 3 times; If two close relatives have breast cancer, the prevalence rate will increase seven times. The younger the onset age, the greater the risk of breast cancer in relatives.

Prevention and control principle

People with a family history of breast cancer should pay special attention to self-examination to find clues to breast cancer and treat it as soon as possible. Breast lump is the most common sign of breast cancer, which is different from proliferative breast lump. It is often single, irregular in shape, hard in texture, poor in mobility, mostly painless, and has no obvious relationship with menstrual cycle. In addition, if you find nipple eczema, pus and shrinkage, you should also pay attention to it and go to the hospital for further examination.

5. Gastric cancer

Genetic risk: ★★★★

Patients with gastric cancer have obvious family aggregation. The survey found that the risk of first-degree relatives (parents, brothers and sisters) of patients with gastric cancer is three times higher than that of the general population on average. The famous Napoleon family, such as his grandfather, father and three sisters, all died of gastric cancer. Seven people in the family, including himself, all suffered from gastric cancer.

Prevention and control principle

Risk factors of gastric cancer include lack of physical exercise, depression, smoking, preference for smoked food, preference for heavy salt diet, excessive meat intake, Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric ulcer. Favorite fungi and fresh fruits are the protective factors of gastric cancer. It is worth noting that the phenomenon of family aggregation of gastric cancer may be related to the co-infection of Helicobacter pylori. Those with a family history of gastric cancer should go to the hospital to monitor whether there is such bacterial infection, and if there is, they should be treated in time.

6. Colorectal cancer

Genetic risk: ★★★★

Colorectal cancer caused by familial inheritance accounts for 10% ~ 15% of the total number of patients with colorectal cancer. People with colorectal cancer in their relatives are 3-4 times more likely to suffer from this disease than ordinary people. If two or more close relatives (parents or brothers and sisters) in the family have colorectal cancer, it is a high-risk group of colorectal cancer.

Prevention and control principle

People with a family history of colorectal cancer should eat more fresh food, eat less salty and smoked food, eat less moldy food, drink less and quit smoking. If the following symptoms appear, you should go to the hospital for examination in time:

① The defecation habit changes, the frequency of defecation increases, or diarrhea and constipation appear alternately. ② Stool with purulent blood or mucus stool. ③ The stool becomes thin and deformed, and defecation is laborious. ④ There is a feeling of defecation, but no defecation.

7. Lung cancer

Genetic risk: ★★★

Foreign research institutions have conducted a follow-up survey of more than 102000 Japanese middle-aged and elderly people for 13 years. Among them, 79 1 case had lung cancer. The researchers compared lung cancer patients with non-lung cancer patients and found that the former was twice as likely to get sick as the latter. The heredity of lung cancer is particularly obvious in women.

Prevention and control principle

The occurrence of lung cancer is closely related to smoking, especially those with a family history of lung cancer, so they must stay away from tobacco and passive smoking. If you have symptoms such as irritating cough and blood in sputum, especially the above-mentioned high-risk groups, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible. If early detection and standardized treatment can be achieved, the cure rate of lung cancer can reach 70%.

8.asthma

Genetic risk: ★★★★★★★

At present, most scholars believe that the genetic factors of asthma are greater than the environmental factors. If both parents suffer from asthma, the probability of their children suffering from asthma can be as high as 60%; If one parent suffers from asthma, the probability of the child suffering from asthma is 20%; If neither parent has asthma, the probability of children suffering from asthma is only about 6%. In addition, if family members and their relatives suffer from allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, skin allergy or food and drug allergy, it will also increase the possibility of asthma in future generations.

Prevention and control principle

Adult asthma mostly occurs in childhood, and early treatment in childhood is the key to reduce the incidence in adulthood. People with a family history of asthma should avoid all kinds of environmental factors that cause asthma, such as inhaling various allergic substances (allergens), respiratory virus and bacterial infections, smoking and air pollution, which play a role in triggering and fueling the onset and aggravation of asthma. Usually, we should do a good job in cleaning the living room, living and working environment, quit smoking, and actively prevent and treat respiratory infections in time.

9. Depression

Genetic risk: ★★★★★★★

Many studies have found that the occurrence of depression is closely related to genetic factors. The probability of depression in relatives of depressed patients is much higher than that of ordinary people, which is about 10 ~ 30 times, and the closer the blood relationship, the higher the probability of depression. According to foreign reports, the probability of depression among relatives of patients with depression is: the first-degree relatives (parents, compatriots and children) are 14%, the second-degree relatives (uncles, aunts, uncles, grandparents or grandsons and nephews) are 4.8%, and the third-degree relatives (cousins) are 3.6%.

Prevention and control principle

Prevention and treatment of depression should focus on early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment. If you often feel depressed, lose weight obviously, suffer from insomnia or sleep too much, fidget, lose concentration, have suicidal thoughts, etc. You should go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time.

10. Senile dementia

Genetic risk: ★★★★

After long-term research, scientists found that Alzheimer's disease is a polygenic genetic disease. The study found that patients with Alzheimer's disease in their parents or brothers were four times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than patients without family history.

Prevention and control principle

If you have a family history of Alzheimer's disease, you should have an examination after 50 to see if you have mental retardation, so as to take some measures to treat it in time.

In addition to genetic factors, people with low education are prone to Alzheimer's disease, while those with formal education delay the onset age by 7 ~ 10 years compared with those without education. In addition, long-term depression, solitude, low education and language level, widowhood and non-remarriage, non-participation in social activities, and lack of physical and mental activities are also easy to cause Alzheimer's disease.

The incidence of the above genetic diseases adds up to about 30%, and there is a trend of increasing year by year. Therefore, it can no longer be generalized that genetic disease is only a rare disease. Preventing the birth of children with genetic diseases is an important eugenic means to improve the quality of our population.

Most genetic diseases cannot be cured.

Because modern medicine can't change the genes of people who have been born, as long as the pathogenic genes are still there, they can't be cured. But some diseases can be alleviated by continuous medication.

[Edit this paragraph] Family hereditary diseases

Hereditary diseases are diseases caused by changes in genetic material.

Hereditary diseases are congenital, familial, lifelong and hereditary.

The types of genetic diseases can be roughly divided into three categories:

First, monogenic diseases.

A single gene often shows functional changes, can't produce protein, has metabolic dysfunction, and forms metabolic genetic diseases. Monogenic diseases are divided into three types:

1. Dominant inheritance: If one parent has a dominant gene, once it is passed on to the next generation, it will get sick, that is, there will be sick offspring, and it will be passed down from generation to generation, such as polydactyly, syndactyly, primary glaucoma, etc.

2. Recessive inheritance: such as congenital deafness, high myopia, albinism, etc. It is called recessive genetic disease because the parents of children are often normal in appearance, but they are all carriers of pathogenic genes.

3. Sex-linked inheritance, also known as sex-linked inheritance, is related to gender, such as hemophilia, whose mother is the carrier of the disease-causing gene. Another example is red-green color blindness, which is cross-inheritance. The son comes from the mother and is the carrier of the pathogenic gene, and the daughter comes from the father, but the incidence rate of men is much higher than that of women.

Second, polygene inheritance: it is caused by the influence of various gene changes, and it is the relationship between genes and traits. People's body length, body shape, intelligence, skin color, blood pressure and other traits are polygenic inheritance, as are cleft lip and palate. In addition, polygenic inheritance is greatly influenced by environmental factors, such as asthma and schizophrenia.

3. Chromosome abnormality: due to abnormal chromosome number or arrangement position; The most common type is congenital stupidity. Such children have dull face, mental retardation, wide eye distance, strabismus, tongue coating dementia, hand penetration, and often complicated with congenital heart disease.

If you don't carry the disease-causing gene, the above genetic diseases will definitely occur.

In fact, almost all diseases are related to genes and environment! Heredity can be divided into qualitative traits and quantitative traits according to biological characteristics! The so-called quality traits are the differences between white people and yellow people, which are mainly determined by heredity and less affected by environmental factors. That is the difference between men and women! The quantitative characters are the weight of rice, the height of people, the color depth and so on. These are called quantitative traits. Quantitative traits are determined by multiple genes, and the number of genes is generally difficult to measure, because the error can differ by an order of magnitude. So we mainly talk about the total effect of genes! Quantitative characters are greatly influenced by the environment. It can be said that it exceeds genetic factors!

In a word, most diseases are the result of the interaction of environmental factors and genetic factors.