One Chronic Illness Can Lead to Others

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Dr. Ian Wood discusses the epigenetic role in chronic diseases. He gives as an example that a diabetic is much more prone to cardiovascular disease than a non diabetic. Checking the blood of both groups shows that the diabetics have larger blood cells than the non diabetics. This therefore can’t be a genetic cause but must be acquired after diabetes is present. He says epigenetic marks are a code or language that they are beginning to understand. They are beginning to understand different letters that make up words that are a message to the cell. This is complex and will take a while to understand fully. Unfortunately he sees the result being the development of more drugs instead of understanding the environmental changes that caused the epigenetic triggers in the first place. If we understood that we could help a person change their diet and lifestyle without drugs.

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