Like mother, like daughter

Scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research at the University of London discovered there was a 57 per cent likelihood a girl would begin menstruating within three months of the date her mother started. It had been thought that diet, particularly eating a lot of meat, played a greater role than genes. So what other aspects of a girl's health are controlled by genetics? Could determining a woman's health prospects be as simple as checking her mother's medical records? Let's find out. Migraines What's passed on? Researchers recently discovered a flawed gene, called tresk, could cause migraines. If this gene doesn't work properly, environmental factors (such as noise, cheese and caffeine) can trigger pain centres in the brain that cause migraines. When this gene in migraine patients was under-active it caused a severe headache. What you can do: Many migraine sufferers are sensitive to foods such as chocolate, coffee, cheese and citrus fruits. Hormones can also play a role -- the rise and fall of oestrogen and progesterone during the menstrual cycle can cause migraines. Breast cancer What's passed on? ‘Women who are carriers of the mutated gene BRCA1 or BRCA2 are more likely to inherit the condition," says Jackie Harris, a clinical nurse specialist for Breast Cancer Care. "If a blood relative -- male or female -- had breast cancer at an early age, you are more at risk." Most women with these mutated genes will develop cancer at a very young age, says Dr Elizabeth Rapley, a cancer geneticist from the Institute of Cancer Research. What can you do: Genetic screening is offered to women with a family history of breast cancer (where one or more close blood relatives have had the disease). Some women opt for early mastectomies to reduce their chances of developing cancer. Hormone replacement therapies and taking the combined contraceptive pill can increase the risk in some women, as can being obese, particularly after the menopause, Harris says. Fitness What's passed on: "The ease with which you develop muscle tone and improve fitness is highly inherited," says Louise Sutton, head of the Carnegie Centre for Sports Performance at Leeds Metropolitan University. What you can do: "You need to do 30-45 minutes of moderate to high-intensity aerobic activity, such as running, swimming or cycling, preferably with bursts of speed, on at least three days a week," Sutton says. "Include resistance exercises, such as squats and lunges, plus some stretching." Obesity What's passed on: People with two copies of a fat version of the gene FTO have a higher risk of obesity than those with no copies. People carrying one copy of the fat FTO variant had a 30 per cent increased risk of being obese compared to a person with no copies. Those carrying two copies of the variant were on average three kilos heavier than a similar person with no gene copies. Genetics affect body shape too. "Apple shapes have a stronger genetic link than pear-shaped or thin ones," Sutton says. What you can do: Calorie and fat-laden diets are partly to blame for rising rates of obesity in children, but so are increased levels of inactivity. TV and computer time should be rationed to less than two hours a day, recommends Sutton. Rheumatoid arthritis What's passed on? Professor Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK, says inherited genes don't directly cause the disease, but can increase your likelihood of developing it. What you can do: Rheumatoid arthritis is more common in people who eat a lot of red meat or drink a lot of caffeine, Silman says. "Viral infections can be a trigger for the disease, but it is less common in people who have a high vitamin C intake from fruit and vegetables." Early menopause What's passed on? One in 20 women begins the menopause before 46 (the average age is 51) and four genes, working together, appear to raise the risk significantly, say researchers at the University of Exeter. Studies on sisters found the age they reached the menopause was 85 per cent down to genes. What you can do: Treatment for cancer and surgery on your ovaries can trigger an early menopause. Nothing can prevent it starting, but there is lots you can do to ease the symptoms, from herbal remedies to HRT. All of these should be discussed with your GP.