A study conducted in Finland showed that the difference in social status between people is associated with people suffering from different types of diseases, as people with a lower socioeconomic status are more likely to develop diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, while those with a high socioeconomic status are more likely to develop diseases. Some types of cancer.
The research team, from the Institute of Molecular Medicine and the University of Helsinki in Finland, found that people with low socioeconomic levels have an increased risk of developing some diseases due to genetic reasons, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lung cancer, and depression. Likewise, people with high socioeconomic levels suffer from some diseases, such as Breast and prostate cancer and some other tumors.
The researchers relied on data relating to approximately 280,000 Finnish citizens, as part of a study called “FinGene”, which deals with researching the genetic foundations of diseases, and includes areas such as genomics, health data, and the social and economic levels of the participants.
The ages of the volunteers in the study range between 35 and 80 years, and the study aims to conduct a systematic evaluation to demonstrate that genetic and environmental interactions among individuals belonging to different social and economic levels result in the development of different types of diseases.
Researcher Fiona Hagenbeck from the Finnish Institute of Molecular Medicine says, “Understanding the influence of the genetic factor on the probability of contracting diseases in different social groups can help develop better medical examination protocols in order to detect diseases.”
She explained in statements to the website “Medical Express”, which specializes in medical research, “It is possible, for example, in the future to develop protocols for detecting breast cancer for those who have an increased risk of contracting the disease for genetic reasons, with a focus, for example, on women with higher academic degrees, while reducing examinations.” “For those who have fewer genetic factors that lead to the disease and those who hold fewer academic degrees.”