PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — What critical health risks should and can we prevent from happening? There are certain things we can control when it comes to health, and there are other things we have little control over.
Many of the things we can’t control are inherited. However, over time, we are slowly learning how to recognize genes, like the BRCA gene, related to the body’s ability to suppress tumors, that put us at risk. And we are working to prevent those risks.
But taking genetics out of the equation, the top conditions we can work to control are obesity, Type II diabetes, heart disease, and drug and alcohol abuse. Clearly, everything is interconnected — for instance some people are weight challenged because of hormonal issues. However, making consistent attempts to identify what you can control — working hard to fight those risk factors — can make a big difference.
KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.