Genetic & Environmental Factors in Disease Risk, New Insights Found

Environmental factors may play a larger role in disease risk than previously thought, overshadowing genetic contributions a study by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine reveals.

Published in the journal Nature Communications, the research shows that lifestyle and environmental factors, such as air pollution, can significantly influence disease risk, offering more opportunities for mitigation.

“We’re trying to disentangle how much genetics and how much the environment influences the development of disease,” said Bibo Jiang, assistant professor of public health sciences.

The team used a novel spatial mixed linear effect (SMILE) model, combining genetics and geolocation data, to analyse disease risks.

Dajiang Liu, co-senior author, emphasised the importance of separating environmental influences from genetic factors: “If we can tease apart these shared environments, what’s remaining could more accurately reflect genetic heritability of disease.”

Using data from IBM MarketScan and environmental data, the researchers re-evaluated the genetic contributions to various diseases.

For example, the genetic risk of Type 2 diabetes was recalibrated from 37.7 per cent to 28.4 per cent, highlighting a greater role for environmental factors. Similarly, the genetic contribution to obesity risk decreased from 53.1 per cent to 46.3 per cebt.

The study also distinguished the effects of specific pollutants, such as PM2.5 and NO2, on health conditions. NO2 was found to directly influence conditions like high cholesterol and diabetes, whereas PM2.5 impacted lung function and sleep disorders.

This research suggests that understanding the balance between genetic and environmental factors can enhance disease prevention strategies, particularly in precision medicine.