Why do changes in a single gene matter?
Single-gene changes are more likely to cause disease by themselves, and knowing about them can help patients take steps to protect their health.
Some health problems are caused by a change in just one gene. These are called single-gene or monogenic conditions. Even though they don’t happen often, a single change like this can greatly raise a patient's risk of getting a disease. It can also lead to more serious symptoms or cause the condition to show up earlier in life.
Single-gene conditions often run in families and follow clear patterns, which can help people understand their own and their family’s health risks.
This is different from polygenic conditions, which are caused by many small changes in many genes. Each small change doesn’t do much on its own, but having many of these small changes can raise your risk.
Both types of changes are important. However, single-gene changes are more likely to cause disease by themselves, and knowing about them can help patients take steps to protect their health.