Complex diseases: the relationship between genetic and sociocultural factors in the risk of disease Authors Eduardo Salas Abstract Complex diseases are caused by a combination of genetic, environmental and sociocultural factors, interacting with one another and with the factor of time. They are very common among the population and most of them are also chronic, a combination that implies high healthcare costs. But they are also preventable, which likewise has many important implications for healthcare systems. Biomarkers allow us to integrate clinical, biochemical and genetic data to better calculate the risk of disease. Furthermore, in many cases we also know how to control the sociocultural factors contributing to the disease, such as adopting different diet and lifestyle choices. In this sense, personalised medicine allows and invites patients to take clear actions to improve their health status, prevent the development or reduce the severity of a disease.Keywords: personalised medicine ∙ complex diseases ∙ genetic risk factors ∙ sociocultural risk factors ∙ biomarkers ∙ cardiovascular disease ∙ Cardio inCode Author Biography Eduardo Salas Downloads PDF Issue Vol. 8 No. 2 (2012) Section Genetic and Socio-Cultural Risk Contributions to Disease License This work is subject, unless the contrary is indicated in the text, the photographs or in other illustrations, to an Attribution —Non-Commercial— No Derivative Works 3.0 Creative Commons License, the full text of which can be consulted at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/. You are free to share, copy, distribute and transmit the work provided that the author is credited and reuse of the material is restricted to non-commercial purposes only and that no derivative works are created from the original material.
