Researchers use several approaches to identify genetic risk factors:
1. Family Studies: These studies look at the occurrence of diseases within families to understand the hereditary nature of diseases. 2. Twin Studies: By comparing disease incidence between monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins, researchers can estimate the heritability of diseases. 3. Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS): GWAS involve scanning the genome for common genetic variants in different individuals to find associations with specific diseases.
