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New research has come up with a shocking conclusion that rich people have more chances of getting cancer genetically compared to poor people. This latest study was conducted in Finland’s University of Helsinki and examined the SES or socio-economic status and relationship between different types of diseases. The study showed that those with elevated SES are genetically at a higher risk of getting prostate, breast, and other types of cancer.
On the other hand, less affluent people have more chances of getting lifestyle diseases like diabetes and arthritis as well as alcoholism, depression, and lung cancer.
New revelations can make changes in screening protocols
Dr. Fiona Hagenbeek who led this study said, “Understanding that the impact of polygenic scores on disease risk is context-dependent may lead to further stratified screening protocols. For example, in the future, screening protocols for breast cancer may be adapted so that females with high genetic risk and who are highly educated receive earlier or more frequent screening than females with lower genetic risk or less education.”
Dr. Hagenbeek who works at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) affiliated with the University of Helsinki thinks that the initial results can be used to measure the disease risk based on genetics. For the study, the team included genomics, health, and SES data of around 280,000 citizens of Finland who were in the age group of 35 to 80 years.
While previous studies on the same have also indicated that poor and rich people show some differences when it comes to being genetically inclined towards particular diseases, this study seems to have a definite answer to at least 19 diseases that are commonly found in most of the high-earning countries.
Dr. Hagenbeek said, “Most clinical risk prediction models include basic demographic information such as biological sex and age, recognizing that disease incidence differs between males and females, and is age-dependent. Acknowledging that such context also matters when incorporating genetic information into healthcare is an important first step. But now, we can show that the genetic prediction of disease risk also depends on an individual’s socio-economic background.”
