Katie Wells, founder of Wellness Mama, shares insights from her personalized health risk assessment using AI-driven tools, highlighting how lifestyle factors can significantly influence chronic disease risks. The assessment, powered by data from over 10,000 studies, showed her cancer risk below the population average despite family history. It underscores a shift toward proactive prevention over reactive medicine.
Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, metabolic conditions like type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s dementia—often called the 'four horsemen'—account for about 85% of deaths in people over 50, with rates rising even among younger adults and children. These illnesses develop gradually over years or decades, driven by lifestyle choices, environmental exposures, and biological shifts, yet traditional medicine largely reacts after symptoms appear rather than preventing them early.
Wells recounts her own experience with undiagnosed hypothyroid symptoms for years, illustrating how subtle early signals are often missed. Standard screenings fall short: heart disease risk models focus on a narrow 10-year window, cancer risk is rarely assessed routinely for average individuals, and Alzheimer’s evaluation typically waits for symptoms, which can emerge 20 to 30 years after onset.
Advancements in AI and data analysis are transforming this landscape. Tools like those from Catch analyze hundreds of variables from thousands of studies to produce personalized lifetime cancer risk profiles, identifying key influencers and actionable changes. Wells's assessment revealed that factors like having children at a younger age, multiple pregnancies, and breastfeeding lowered her breast and uterine cancer risks. Her blood type slightly elevated risks for some cancers, while her height marginally increased it, offset by physical activity.
Practical recommendations included boosting intake of vegetables—especially fermented and colorful ones—and oily fish weekly, linked to reduced risks of multiple cancers, including stomach and lung types. Surprising links emerged too: regular coffee consumption correlates with lower risks for several cancers, and a history of asthma or allergies may protect against certain brain cancers. Conversely, head injuries, radon exposure, poor sleep, and indoor air pollution heighten risks.
Wells emphasizes that 60 to 90% of disease risk is modifiable, with less than 10% of cancer risk purely genetic. Early detection dramatically improves outcomes, such as pushing cancer survival rates near 90% when caught promptly. She applies similar principles to heart disease, noting that cholesterol alone misses factors like inflammation and light exposure, and to Alzheimer’s, where lifestyle drives risk decades before symptoms.
While praising the tool's nuance, Wells diverges on sun exposure, arguing moderate, non-burning sunlight supports vitamin D levels and overall health without clear skin cancer links, prioritizing personal discernment alongside data.
