How to Prevent or Manage Hereditary Disease

Written By: Indus Health Plus Doctors Team

Medically Reviewed | Based on Clinical Guidelines

Last Updated : 05 Jun 2021

Do you have Diabetes, Cancer or Heart Diseases running in your family? Medical history of family members is of utmost importance to keep you in a healthy state. This is because you inherit your genes from your parents, hence the health conditions also run down to you. But that doesn’t mean you will necessarily develop the disease. A little bit of cognizance can help you avoid them.

Your health is the result of your genetics and your lifestyle. You can’t change your genetics, but you definitely can change your lifestyle.

Your genetic susceptibilities were formed at the time of your conception. In the longer run, apart from your genetics, multiple other things influence your health, and thereby result in manifestation of the hereditary diseases. Small modifications in your lifestyle and habits can help you avoid such diseases.

How to know what lifestyle modifications to make?

A genetic test report can inform you about the lifestyle changes you should make in order to prevent/delay the onset of the hereditary and other diseases that you have risk for. Your report also has recommendations for each of the health conditions and traits for which you have a predisposition. A skilled genetic counsellor helps you in understanding your report and also guides you on how you can use the same report with your doctor for planning your future health.

What kind of lifestyle modifications to make to be healthy?

• Take proper nutrition, as guided in your report, to balance the requirements of your body 
• Exercise daily on the basis of the type that really helps your body 
• Quit habits like intake of tobacco in any form, and drinking alcohol 
• Meditate to clear out the daily life stress 

What are the benefits of genetic testing in prevention of diseases?

• Once you know the diseases and traits that you are susceptible to, you can make informed decisions related to your health 
• It saves you from sudden medical expenditures
• Keeps you enlightened about your health requirements
• Helps in prior planning of health checkups to detect the disease in case they manifest. Early detection helps in better treatment/management 
• Planning doctor’s consultation for treatment and management of predisposed health conditions
• Allows you to take all preventive measures 

Want to know more about genetic testing? Click here.