Research Suggests Environment May Play A Larger Role In Human Health Than Genetics. The San Francisco Chronicle Share to FacebookShare to Twitter (1/16, Allday) reports that research suggests that “the environment may be a much bigger driver of human health than genetics, which raises questions about the value of genomic sequencing and the push toward personalized medicine.” The “study was specific to the immune system, but it’s likely,” Mark Davis, lead author of the study, “said, that the same environmental influence applies to other body systems — for instance, the nervous system — and overall health.” For the study, the investigators “recruited 78 identical and 27 fraternal twins who were part of a twin registry.” The AP Share to FacebookShare to Twitter (1/16, Neergaard) reports that the researchers “used blood samples from the twin pairs, who ranged in age from 8 to 82, to track more than 200 activities and components of the immune system.” The study, published in Cell, indicated that “in three-quarters of the measurements, differences between pairs of twins were more likely due to non-heritable influences – such as previous infections or vaccinations, even nutrition – than genetics.” HealthDay Share to FacebookShare to Twitter (1/16, Preidt) reports that the study also indicated that “among identical twins, environmental effects on the immune system were stronger among those 60 and older than among those younger than 20.”
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 23:21:40 +0000
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