Résumé :
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[BDSP. Notice produite par INIST-CNRS eR0x1LJ0. Diffusion soumise à autorisation]. During the 19th and early 20th century, public health and genetics shared common ground through similar approaches to health promotion in the population. By the mid-20th century there was a division between public health and genetics, with eugenicists estranged and clinical genetics focused on single gene disorders, usually only relevant to small numbers of people. Now through a common interest in the aetiology of complex diseases such as heart disease and cancer, there is a need for people working in public health and genetics to collaborate. This is not a comfortable convergence for many, particularly those in public health. Nine main concerns are reviewed : fear of eugenics ; genetic reductionism ; predictive power of genes ; non-modifiable risk factors ; rights of individuals compared with populations ; resource allocation ; commercial imperative ; discrimination ; and understanding and education. This paper aims to contribute to the thinking and discussion about an evolutionary, multidisciplinary approach to understanding, preventing, and treating complex diseases.
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