Zip code better predictor of health than genetic code
hsph.harvard.edu
Zip code better predictor of health than genetic code
1–10 of 19 posts
Re: Zip code better predictor of health than genetic code
#2[deleted]
Re: Zip code better predictor of health than genetic code
#3The linked article just quotes someone saying this with no citation.
Re: Zip code better predictor of health than genetic code
#4What a massive claim! Of course, after carefully reading the article several times just to make sure, it's just one attention-grabbing line said in one speech, by one person.
To prove this sort of claim, you'd need to challenge the millions of hours of research geneticists have done, all the open data they've published, all the medical advances they've fueled. Instead, without even considering that the claim might be wrong, without any scientific humility, without linking to any supporting research, Harvard confidently makes the most extreme claim; that zip codes have more predictive power than genes!
Disgraceful and absurd that Harvard would publish something like this. Disgraceful that I believed it even for a moment.
Re: Zip code better predictor of health than genetic code
#5This may be quite useful to health insurance actuaries in the years to come, depending on state laws. Though I imagine in the long run, they would vastly prefer a fully sequenced genome for all insureds, or IQ tests.
I wonder if we'll see those kinds of things in the future. I guess on a long enough timeline, the question isn't if, but when.
Re: Zip code better predictor of health than genetic code
#6Bear in mind that people tend to live near family and near people of the same ethnic group as them. So not only does zipcodes include info on how rich you are, and therefore your access to healthcare and good nutrition, it also contains some information about your genetics.
Re: Zip code better predictor of health than genetic code
#7What a massive claim! Of course, after carefully reading the article several times just to make sure, it's just one attention-grabbing line said in one speech, by one person. To prove this sort of claim, you'd need to challenge the millions of hours of research geneticists have done, all the open data they've published, all the medical advances they've fueled. Instead, without even considering that the claim might be…
This person specializes in biostatistics:
http://www.rwjf-newconnections.org/funded-scholars/melody-s-...
Based on the list of her publications, I doubt she has extensive knowledge of genetics. Nevertheless, if she stopped for a moment, she'd have realized her statement might make no sense whatsoever. This title and statement should be flagged for inaccuracy.
Re: Zip code better predictor of health than genetic code
#8What a massive claim! Of course, after carefully reading the article several times just to make sure, it's just one attention-grabbing line said in one speech, by one person. To prove this sort of claim, you'd need to challenge the millions of hours of research geneticists have done, all the open data they've published, all the medical advances they've fueled. Instead, without even considering that the claim might be…
To be fair, the predictive power of many different polygenic risk models is very low. (Source: doing a PhD in Genetics atm.) So this does not really surprise me. Usually about 50% of variance can be explained by genetics, and 50% by environment. Meaning that if you have a good enviromental predictor, such as a zip code, you may be able to predict a trait better, than with genetics, which contain a lot of cryptic relationships that a predictor may not integrate. Its totally fair to be critical of the merit of genetic predictions. Usually they are super bad.
Re: Zip code better predictor of health than genetic code
#9What a massive claim! Of course, after carefully reading the article several times just to make sure, it's just one attention-grabbing line said in one speech, by one person. To prove this sort of claim, you'd need to challenge the millions of hours of research geneticists have done, all the open data they've published, all the medical advances they've fueled. Instead, without even considering that the claim might be…
[deleted]
Re: Zip code better predictor of health than genetic code
#10What a massive claim! Of course, after carefully reading the article several times just to make sure, it's just one attention-grabbing line said in one speech, by one person. To prove this sort of claim, you'd need to challenge the millions of hours of research geneticists have done, all the open data they've published, all the medical advances they've fueled. Instead, without even considering that the claim might be…
While it's true this article is a whole lot of nothing, here's a better article with concrete facts on the same subject: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-life-expectan...
On its face, it doesn't seem that crazy. Location is linked to both wealth and environment, which are both pretty significant factors in health. Do you think most doctors would say that average genetic variation makes a bigger difference than, say, poor childhood nutrition, or smoking?