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Colorectal Cancer · Genetic Risk · Personalized Medicine · Preventative Health
Vanderbilt researchers published a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrating that individuals with a high polygenic risk score for colorectal cancer can achieve a nearly 40% reduction in disease risk by consistently adopting healthy lifestyles.
The study, which analyzed extensive data from participants in the UK Biobank, found this significant reduction in risk for genetically predisposed individuals. This outcome notably surpasses the approximately 25% risk reduction observed among people at a low genetic risk for the same cancer, even when they maintain healthy habits.
Wei Zheng, MD, PhD, MPH, Anne Potter Wilson Professor of Medicine and associate director for Population Sciences Research at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), stated these findings are crucial for designing personalized colorectal cancer prevention strategies. Researchers constructed polygenic risk scores using genetic variants identified in large studies involving over 120,000 participants.
Lifestyle scores were determined by factors including waist-to-hip ratio, physical activity, diet (processed/red meat, vegetables/fruits), alcohol consumption, and tobacco use. The research, supported by funds from the Anne Potter Wilson chair endowment at Vanderbilt University and a grant from the National Cancer Institute, definitively highlights the powerful interaction between genetics and modifiable lifestyle factors in disease prevention.
