Rich people are more at risk of getting cancer, poor people are at risk of diabetes and depression

Bisnis.com, JAKARTA – New research revealed in June 2024 that genetically rich people have a greater risk of getting cancer compared to poor people.

Reporting from the New York Post, a new study conducted at the University of Helsinki in Finland examined the relationship between socioeconomic status, or SES, and a series of diseases.

Those privileged to enjoy greater SES, the findings show, also have a higher genetic risk of developing breast, prostate and other types of cancer.

In contrast, those with a genetic disadvantage are more prone to diabetes and arthritis, as well as depression, alcoholism and lung cancer, experts say.

Study leader Dr Fiona Hagenbeek, from the Finnish Institute for Molecular Medicine (FIMM), said the preliminary results could lead to polygenic risk scores – used to measure disease risk based on genetics – being added to screening protocols. for some diseases.

“Understanding that the effect of polygenic scores on disease risk is context-dependent may lead to more linear screening protocols,” said Dr. Hagenbeek told the Southwest News Service.

“For example, in the future, breast cancer screening protocols may change so that women with higher genetic risk and higher education receive screening earlier or more often than women with lower genetic risk or lower education,” he said.

“Thus, although our genetic information does not change throughout our lives, the influence of genetics on disease risk changes as we age or as our circumstances change,” said the doctor.

The researchers say that further research can be done to fully understand the relationship between specific occupations and disease risk. Studies should also be done in low-income countries, they said.