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Anorexia nervosa is a common and dangerous illness that affects millions of people.
神经性厌食症是一种常见且危险的疾病，影响着数百万人。
For a long time, it's been thought of primarily as a psychiatric disorder,
长期以来，它主要被认为是一种精神疾病
but new research published this week in the journal Nature Genetics suggests there's an important physiological aspect as well.
但本周发表在《Nature Genetics》杂志上的新研究表明其中还有一个重要的生理方面原因。
This research links the disorder to genetics and metabolism,
这项研究将这种疾病与基因和新陈代谢联系起来，
and it might change the way we understand the origins of the illness as well as potential treatments.
并且它可能会改变我们理解疾病起源的方式，以及潜在的治疗方法。
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder. Affected people may be dangerously underweight,
神经性食欲缺乏是一种饮食失调。由于摄入的食物有限，
with a restricted intake of food, and often also have a distorted body image.
受影响的人体重可能会严重不足，体型也往往不正常。
The end result is that the body is starved of sufficient nutrients, which can lead to various medical complications and even death.
最终结果是身体缺乏充足的营养，可能会导致各种医疗并发症，甚至是死亡。
In fact, according to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, anorexia is the most deadly mental disorder.
事实上，根据美国国立卫生研究院，厌食症是最致命的精神疾病。
Even with treatment, many patients struggle to fully overcome anorexia.
即使接受了治疗，许多患者仍难以完全克服厌食症。
The authors of this new research suggest that current treatments might be too focused on psychology,
这项新研究的作者表示目前的治疗方法过于关注心理学层面，
and fail to consider the physiology involved in the disorder.
没有考虑到疾病中涉及的生理学层面。
This study pulled together genetic data on almost 17,000 cases of anorexia nervosa among people of European ancestry.
这项研究收集了17000例欧洲神经性厌食症患者的基因数据。
When they compared that dataset with a control group, they found 8 genetic variants significantly associated with anorexia.
当他们将该数据集与对照组进行比较时，他们发现了8个与厌食症显著相关的基因变异。
Interestingly, some of these genetic traits are also known to be related to levels of physical activity, as well as to metabolism,
有趣的是，其中一些遗传特征也已知与体育锻炼水平以及新陈代谢有关，
the processes inside the body that convert sustenance into energy.
新陈代谢是身体内部将食物转化为能量的过程。
People suffering from anorexia have been known to show signs of abnormal metabolism,
众所周知，患有厌食症的人有代谢紊乱的迹象，
but this has often been thought of as a side effect of being starved of nutrients.
但这经常被认为是缺乏营养的副作用。
However, the researchers say this genetic link means that an unusual metabolism
但研究人员表示这种基因联系意味着异常的新陈代谢
might actually be partly responsible for causing the disorder. The researchers say we should think of anorexia nervosa
其实可能是造成这种疾病的部分原因。研究人员称我们应该将神经性食欲缺乏当做
as arising from a combination of both psychological and physiological factors.
是心理和生理因素的共同作用的结果。
They say their analysis potentially expands the list of risk factors for the disorder,
他们表示他们的分析可能会扩大这种疾病的风险因素，
that is, characteristics that increase a person's likelihood of developing it.
即增加一个人患病可能性的特征。
And that in turn opens up a whole new avenue for medical professionals looking to develop treatments for this deadly disease.
这反过来又为寻求治疗这种致命疾病的医学专业人士开辟了一条全新的道路。
And anorexia isn't the only illness that's more complicated than it seems.
厌食症并不是唯一比它看起来更复杂的疾病。
Another new study this week, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association,
本周另一项发表于《美国医学协会志》新研究
found a similar duality with dementia but the other way around.
发现与痴呆类似的二元性，但是正好相反。
Dementia is defined as a decline in mental ability that's severe enough to interfere with a person's daily life.
痴呆被定义为是一种智力下降并严重到足以干扰一个人的日常生活。
It can take many forms, but the most common is Alzheimer's disease,
它可以有多种形式，但最常见的是阿尔茨海默症，
which affects more than five million people in the US alone. And Alzheimer's is known to be linked to genes.
仅在美国就有超过五百万人受其影响。阿尔茨海默症被认为和基因有关。
There are well-known genetic risk factors that are associated with a patient's likelihood of developing Alzheimer's.
有一些众所周知的基因风险因素和病人患阿尔茨海默症的可能性相关。
But this new study found that dementia can also be influenced by how healthy a person's lifestyle is.
但这项新研究发现痴呆症也可能受一个人生活方式的健康程度所影响。
Like the first study, this one looked at a wide sample of genetic data, this time from nearly 200,000 people in the UK,
和第一项研究一样，该研究观察了大量的基因数据样本，这一次的样本来自英国的近20万人，
including more than 1700 recorded cases of dementia. The researchers assembled a genetic risk score for each person,
包括1700多例记录在案的痴呆症病例。研究人员为每个人配上了一份基因风险评分
but also a lifestyle health score based on each person's self-reported diet,
但还有基于每个人自我报告的饮食、
level of physical activity, and frequency of smoking or drinking alcohol.
体育锻炼程度以及抽烟或喝酒频率做出的一份生活方式健康评分。
They found that, even among people with a high genetic risk,
他们发现，即使是高基因风险人群，
the incidence of dementia was significantly lower in people with a healthier lifestyle versus people living less healthy.
生活方式健康的人患痴呆症的几率明显低于生活方式不健康的人。
The difference was small but noteworthy. Of the study participants with high genetic risk of dementia,
差异虽小，但值得注意。在痴呆症遗传风险高的研究参与者中，
the disease developed in 1.78% of those with unhealthy habits, but only 1.13% of those with a healthier lifestyle.
习惯不健康的人患病几率为1.78%，但生活方式健康的人患病率仅为1.13%。
In absolute terms, this would mean that if people at high genetic risk improved their lifestyle,
从绝对意义上讲，这意味着如果高基因风险人群改善了他们的生活方式，
one case of dementia could be prevented for each 121 at-risk individuals every decade.
每10年，每121名有风险的人中，有一人可预防痴呆症。
So this is certainly not a cure, but it does seem that dementia,
所以这当然不是一种治疗方法，但看起来痴呆症确实
like anorexia nervosa, is related to a combination of factors, both genetic and behavioral.
和神经性食欲缺乏一样，和基因以及行为两种因素有关。
Which is exciting because as we learn more,
这很令人兴奋，因为随着我们了解的越多，
we might discover ways for people to offset their built-in risk of dementia by adjusting their behavior and lifestyle.
我们或许可以发现一些方法，能让大家通过调节自己的行为和生活方式，抵消患痴呆症的内在风险。
But there's definitely still more to be learned.
但肯定还有更多的东西需要了解。
Both of these studies looked at specific populations of people, mainly those of European ancestry.
这些研究都观察了某一特定人群，主要是欧洲血统人群。
And it will no doubt take more study in more diverse populations to tease out exact interrelationships
毫无疑问，我们需要对更多不同人群做研究才能梳理出
between the various factors involved in these diseases.
这些疾病中各种因素之间确切的相互关系。
But the takeaway here is that illness is complicated, especially the ones we haven't figured out how to treat yet.
但本期视频要点是疾病是很复杂的，尤其是那些我们还不知道该如何治疗的疾病。
Genetics can be very helpful in understanding where diseases arise, but your genes are not your destiny.
基因对于理解疾病的发生是很有帮助的，但你的基因不代表你的命运。
Diseases often have complex and interrelated causes, and the more we come to understand that complexity,
疾病通常有着复杂且相互关联的病因，我们对其复杂性了解的越多，
the better chance we have in the fight against them.
我们就越有机会打败它们。
Thanks for watching this episode of SciShow News. If you're interested in helping us bring great videos to the world every day,
感谢收看本期《科学秀》。如果你想帮助我们制作优秀视频，
from news to quick questions to deep dives, you can support us on Patreon.
从新闻到快速提问到深度潜水，你可以在Patreon上支持我们。
Check it out - patreon.com/scishow - that's the whole reason we can do this. Thanks everybody.
点击查看patreon.com/scishow，这就是我们能做出这些视频的全部原因。谢谢大家。
