Predictive medicine does not predict the future but it can help make it healthier, even for the eyes. This young branch of medical science takes into account the knowledge acquired on the functioning of the human genome and the clinical significance associated with certain genetic variants existing in the population, with the aim of preventing the onset of many diseases.
Most genetic variants - or genetic polymorphisms - have no clinical significance, just as having blond or brown hair has no influence on our health. Some genetic polymorphisms, on the other hand, can make us more vulnerable to a given disease, just as having extremely light skin could make us more exposed to sunburn. In these cases, genetic polymorphisms are said to result in a genetic susceptibility or hereditary predisposition.
Predictive medicine aims to identify individual genetic susceptibilities and implement personalized prevention protocols in order to prevent or delay the onset of the pathologies for which one is at risk, limiting as much as possible the damage that could derive from them.
This is possible because most diseases have a multifactorial origin, that is, their origin is determined by a set of factors: genetic, environmental and behavioral. For multifactorial diseases, the mere presence of a genetic susceptibility is not sufficient to cause the disease to arise, just as having very light skin cannot cause sunburn by itself: for this to happen, you need to expose yourself to the sun for a long time and / or in the hottest hours and without protection.
Therefore, the existence of a genetic susceptibility does not necessarily cause a pathology, but the identification of this susceptibility can significantly reduce the risk of getting sick thanks to the adoption of personalized prevention protocols aimed at eliminating any non-genetic risk factors that may be identified. in eating habits, lifestyle etc.
In the ophthalmology field, predictive medicine has already found important clinical applications, resulting in the existence of various tests capable of evaluating the genetic risk for various important eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), keratoconus and different types of corneal dystrophies. The results of these tests allow geneticists to direct the patient towards the adoption of specific prevention protocols and doctors to evaluate the opportunity to undertake certain therapeutic strategies and surgical procedures.
Predictive medicine is a great ally of both the patient and the doctor who has responsibility for his health and is therefore destined to take on an ever greater value in the context of clinical activity.
