Welcome to A Public Health Perspective, the National Office of Public Health Genomics's highlights page. Researching the weekly update, NOPHG finds scientific literature that reports on discoveries of genetic variants, related disease outcomes, and the complex social, legal, and ethical issues surrounding genetic discoveries. A Public Health Perspective focuses on a single topic and provides you with information relevant to public health practice.

This week we are examining the public health perspective of the "Nature vs. Nurture: An Unnecessary Debate."  (July 2000)

"Most if not all human disease results from the interaction between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors-broadly defined to include infectious, chemical, physical, nutritional and behavioral factors."
Muin J. Khoury, MD, PhD, Director,
National Office of Public Health Genomics

• Gene Environment Interaction Fact Sheet
• Nature vs. Nurture: An Unnecessary Debate
• Challenges in Communicating Genetics: A Public Health Approach
  Genetics in Medicine (2000)

• Environmental and Heritable Factors in the Causation of Cancer -- Analyses of Cohorts of Twins from Sweden, Denmark, and Finland (last accessed 5/2007)
  Lichtenstein, P, et al.
  New Engl J Med 2000 Jul 13;343(2):78-85
  
• Cancer -- Nature, Nurture, or Both (last accessed 5/2007)
  Hoover, RN New Engl J Med 2000 Jul 13;343(2):135-6
  
• Cancer, Genes and the Environment (last accessed 5/2007)
  Letters to the editor, 
  New Engl J Med 2000;343 

• Cancer not caused by genes alone
  (Story No longer available on line)
  (Jul 12, 2000) Reuters Health

• Study Assesses Gene Link to Some Cancers
  (Jul13) The Chicago Tribune

• Study says genes account for more than one-quarter of cancer cases (Story No longer available on line)
  (Jul 13) The Associated Press

• Stop Blaming your Genes (Story no longer available on line)
  (Jul 24) Newsweek

• The Promise of Better Health (last accessed 5/2007)
  (July 19) Honolulu Star-Bulletin

• Human Diseases Result from Gene-Environment Interactions (1986)
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