OT.Hererditary or enviromental with certain diseases?

[ruready4somefootball]

Say there is a history of a certain disease that runs on your father's side of the family but you were raised in a totally different environment since you were 1 year old, does family history become just as important? Nothing here, but I always wondered about that. Say your father smoked, worked in a smoked filled bar, risks you and other siblings never were around, is it still considered a genetic chance you are more prone to what he had?

 

[D-Wing]

Say there is a history of a certain disease that runs on your father's side of the family but you were raised in a totally different environment since you were 1 year old, does family history become just as important? Nothing here, but I always wondered about that. Say your father smoked, worked in a smoked filled bar, risks you and other siblings never were around, is it still considered a genetic chance you are more prone to what he had?

I'm sure there are people on here more knowledgeable than me, but what I understand is that there is a genetic component AND an environmental component to things like cancer, heart disease and the like.. Having the genetic component (passed down from your parents) may make you more susceptible to [insert malady here], but you have control over the environmental portion of the equation. Example, your parents may have both suffered from heart disease, and may have given you the gene which gives you a greater chance to develop heart disease, but you, knowing this, eat well, exercise, maintain a healthy weight, don't smoke, etc. and the "heart disease" gene does not get activated. You negate that genetic disadvantage and have the same chance as anyone else to NOT develop heart disease.

-Craig