Will You Inherit Your Parents' Health?

Your genes can have as much infl uence as your lifestyle on your disease risk.

- Stephanie Yap

Ever wonder if there’s a link between your parents’ health and yours?

According to researchers in the United Kingdom, the age when you got your first period is not totally random. In fact, your monthly cycle is more connected to your mother than you may imagine. In other words, your folks may largely dictate how your health is and how long you’re going to live, but your mum – or her genes, rather – appears to have most of the control.

“Hereditary disease is a specific type of disease which is carried by the genes in one or both of your parents and it’s passed on to you, resulting in a similar disease,” explains Dr Ozlan Izma Bin Muhamed Kamil, an orthopaedic and spine surgeon at Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur. This genetic defect, which was passed down to you, may even pass on to your children.

If your parent has osteoporosis

Your own risk:

Osteoporosis is a genetic disease. “It is well known that genetics plays an important role in determining a person’s peak bone mass; it has been estimated that 75 per cent of our peak bone mass is influenced by our genes,” expresses Dr Ozlan. There are other important factors such as diet and exercise as well. Many studies are clear that if your parent, particularly your mother, has osteoporosis or a history of hip fracture, then the likelihood of you developing osteoporosis is very high.