It was upon a friend’s suggestion that Radha decided to take her son for a health check-up. It proved to be timely advice as Radha discovered that her son was an early candidate for hyper cholesterolemia or hypertriglyceridemia. A disorder passed on genetically, this condition is known to lead to early cardiovascular diseases. Digging deeper to understand this, Radha found out that this issue originated from her husband’s family genes and had been transferred to their son. Fortunately, Radha’s husband was already aware of high cholesterol and had started medication from his late thirties. Having heard about this, their family friend had recommended getting the son checked as well, which resulted in early detection of this condition.
Each of us will likely inherit some health conditions or proclivity for certain health issues from our parents. Even though we inherit an equal percentage of characteristics from both parents, we actually express a lot more using the DNA inherited from fathers, especially when it comes to health. As a family health clinic, we believe it is important that we educate more families about this. It will then enable suitable and customized screening and early detection of many conditions.
Here are some more health characteristics that are passed on from paternal genes:
- Cardiac Health
Children; especially sons inherit a specific gene from their fathers accelerating the risk of them developing coronary heart diseases. The gene unfortunately is unable to control inflammation which is critical in preventing blockage in the heart arteries. Documenting such family history and seeking early advice from a medical expert could go a long way in suitable preventive treatment.
- Dental Health
Dental Health is often not given due importance in overall well being of a person. From a genetic inheritance point of view, one is very likely to develop similar dental issues as one’s father, unless one is suitably aware and takes the necessary guidance to avoid the same. The physical characteristics of teeth, such as size and shape are hereditary from the more active gene which is the father’s.
- Mental Health
Even though mental health disorders can be passed on from both parents to children, certain conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to be passed on from the father. It has been found that children born to older fathers with schizophrenia or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis stand a higher chance of having these conditions themselves. While mothers are likely to possess mental health illnesses as well and potentially pass these on to offspring, genetic disorders are more likely from the paternal side.
- Reproductive Health
Fathers who have a low sperm count are likely to pass a similar condition on to their sons. It has been indicated that men who have been conceived with the help of fertility treatments do have low sperm counts, and this is an inherited trait in the family.
- Vision
While both parents play an essential role in determining the eye colour and ocular health of their children, be it daughters or sons, children tend to inherit the eye colour and expressions influenced by the paternal DNA. Research indicates that if the father has dark eyes and the mother has light eyes, the child is said to inherit the father’s dark eyes due to the dominant genes being the father’s which tilts more towards a darker colour.
While an inherited trait such as eye colour may have no bearing on one’s vision, the other inherited traits can cause health issues.
Being aware of your family history is essential for early detection and diagnosis of these diseases. Doing a bit of research about the hereditary physical and mental health issues in both sides of the family is quintessential. Radha, thanks to her friend, was able to ensure her son who was only 7 years, got started on a strict diet before he was old enough to start medical treatment, enabling them to control the risks involved in high cholesterol.
Gather abundant information on your family health and if you observe family members sharing similar health patterns, visit a doctor immediately for consultation. In addition, maintain a healthy lifestyle to ensure the risks of inherited health diseases are minimal and can be brought under control sooner than later.
At The Capstone Clinic, we leverage our multispeciality expertise and family oriented practice to guide families on such genetic conditions. Our doctors are extremely diligent in understanding family history and documenting such conditions, enabling them to provide customised and personalised guidance to every individual in the family.