The genetic causes of men’s health issues cut both ways. On the one hand, it can make you resigned to the fact that you’re going to have this or that problem. On the other hand, you can just blame it on your genes!
The Science of Genetics
Having a certain type of genes doesn’t mean that you will definitely develop the related disease or health issue. Very few genetic markers are like that. Most inherited genes only increase the risk of you getting the health problem. Let’s look more closely at the known and suspected genetic causes of men’s health issues.
Baldness – The Big Story
The most common talking points about baldness are far from proven. They are only educated guesses with certain promising correlations shown in studies, though far from conclusive. These include hair follicles health, blood circulation in the head, eating too much greasy food, etc.
In comparison, male pattern baldness is definitively linked to genetics. You are more likely to go bald if your father is bald. This is also true concerning your grandfather and uncles on your mother’s side of the family. A study using over 52,000 genetic data from the UK Biobank found that among the men in the top 10% highest risk pool, 58% of them had moderate to severe hair loss. There are many more such studies.
The Small Potatoes
We are happy to report that research into the genetics of erectile dysfunction is in its infancy. This is probably because most types of ED are unlikely to be caused by genes.
There is a small chance that infertility has a genetic root, and that’s only if the infertility is caused by Klinefelter’s syndrome, Y chromosome deletions, and cystic fibrosis gene mutation.
As for prostate cancer, about 5-10% of prostate cancers are genetic, according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. However, your chances of getting prostate cancer can increase 5 times if two or more of your close male relatives have it.
And that’s about it. Apart from baldness, how you live your life is often more influential than the genetic causes of men’s health issues.
