Results for search "Genetics".
New research suggests that switching from smoking to vaping won't prevent some dangerous changes to a person's genome.
A new study conducted in young adults shows similar cancer-linked gene changes in both vapers and smokers.
“These findings have significant...
Folks can overcome their genetic risk for type 2 diabetes through healthy diet and regular exercise, a new study says.
A healthy lifestyle reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by 70% among a group of people with a high genetic likelihood of developing the metabolic diso...
Fish oil supplements might help high-risk seniors stave off Alzheimer’s disease, a new study finds.
Older people with a higher genetic risk of Alzheimer’s experienced slower breakdown of their brain’s nerve cell...
A single drop of blood might be able to predict the onset of dozens of diseases, a new study claims.
Analysis of the protein “signatures†in a droplet of blood can predict 67 diseases, including blood cancers, degenerative nerve diseases, lung disease and he...
In her youth, Shola, an English Shepherd Dog, was a member of the Edale Mountain Rescue Team, a corps of U.K. pooches charged with helping hurt and stranded hikers.
But Shola was retired as part of the Rescue Team after a rare genetic disease affecting dogs, called progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), robbed her of her sight.
It's too late for Shola, but new research has led to a ge...
Many breast cancer patients aren’t getting genetic counseling and testing that could help them get the most effective treatment, a new study finds.
Only three-quarters of patients eligible for genetic testing after their breast cancer diagnosis actually received it, researchers...
As good as many genetic tests might be, a deeper look at the DNA of over 44,000 people identified many who carried genes that hike their risks for cancer, researchers said.
"This study is a wake-up call, showing us that current national guidelines for genetic screenings are missing too many people at high risk of cancer," said lead author
Pondering a move to a vegetarian or vegan diet? Your heart might be in it, but your genes might not, a new study says.
Genetics are an important part of whether a person responds well or poorly to a vegetarian diet, researchers said.
People with a specific genetic variant can see increased calci...
A girl's genetics can indirectly influence the age when she has her first period, by accelerating her weight gain in childhood, a new study finds.
A number of other genes also can directly affect the age of puberty, some with profound effects, researchers added.
More than 1,000 genetic variants are tied to the age of a girl's first menstrual period, researchers discovered by analyzi...
A Colombian family's genetics are shining a spotlight on a gene that might help protect people from the ravages of Alzheimer's disease.
About 1,200 out of 6,000 family members carry a genetic variant called the "Paisa mutation,"which dooms them to early Alzheimer's, researchers said.
But 28 family members with the Paisa mutation dodged early Alzheimer's, apparently because they carr...
Genetics can play a role in a person's odds for Alzheimer's disease, and new research suggests differences in that risk are based on which parent had the illness.
In a study of 4,400 people still "cognitively unimpaired," there was higher buildup of am...
There's potential good news for a sizable minority of people battling advanced colon cancer.
Doctors in Britain say that an immunotherapy drug, given before surgery, can help many more patients with a specific genetic profile stay cancer-free long term.
The finding pertains to people with stage 2 or 3 colon tumors with a genetic profile known as MMR deficient/MSI-High.
About ...
MONDAY, June 3, 2024 -- Mutations in a single newly identified gene are responsible for developmental disorders affecting tens of thousands of people worldwide, a new study claims.
The gene"RNU4-2"can cause a collection of developmental symptoms that had not previously been tied to a distinct genetic disorder, researchers report.
The discovery is significant because it represents on...
People who carry two copies of the gene mutation most strongly implicated in Alzheimer's disease are almost certain to develop brain changes related to the degenerative disorder, a new study says.
A single mutated APOE4 gene has been found to pose the strongest genetics-driven risk factor for late-onset
Doctors argue that genetics aren't destiny when it comes to a person's health, and a study appears to support that notion.
A healthy lifestyle can offset the effects of life-shortening genes by more than 60%, researchers found.
People at high genetic risk of a curtailed lifespan could extend their life expectancy by nearly 5.5 years if they've adopted a healthy lifestyle by age 40, ...
Researchers have conclusively identified the genetic cause of a rare, progressive movement disorder.
A rare extra-long version of a gene appears to cause nerve cells to become poisoned by toxic proteins in people with spinocerebellar ataxia 4 (SCA4), researchers report.
SCA4 causes muscle weakness and difficulty coordinating body movement, most notably resulting in a jerky and unste...
New Jersey native Lisa Pisano was staring down the end of her days.
The 54-year-old had heart failure and end-stage kidney disease, but several chronic medical conditions excluded her as a candidate for heart and kidney transplants.
"All I want is the opportunity to have a better ...
Two newly discovered genetic variations can have a powerful effect on a person's risk for obesity, a new report says.
Variants in the gene BSN, also known as Bassoon, can increase risk of obesity as much as sixfold, researchers report April 4 in the journal Nature Genetics.
These variants affect about 1 in every 6,500...
Folks with genetically-driven stress are more likely to suffer heart attacks after nerve-wracking events or times of unrest, a new study shows.
People with above-average genetic scores linked to neuroticism and stress were 34% more likely to experience a heart attack followi...
THURSDAY, March 21, 2024 (HealthDay news) -- For the first time ever, doctors have transplanted a genetically edited pig kidney into a human suffering from advanced kidney failure.
Such pig kidneys, altered to lower the risk of rejection and disease, have been successfully placed into monkeys and brain-dead human donor bodies.
But Rick Slayman, 62, is the first living patient to rec...
It only appears to work until age 74, but a new study has identified a gene variant that protects men from from severe illness and death when COVID lands them in the hospital.
The protective gene appears to help tamp down inflammation, researchers say. It is an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (1L1RN) variant.
While inflammation is a normal response to infection, if left unch...
Folks worried about becoming flabby in middle age should check out what their parents looked like when they were that age, a new study says.
People are six times more likely to become obese in middle age if both their parents were chubby during that time of their lives, according to research to be present...
Nearly a quarter of Labrador retrievers are more likely to be obese due to a genetic "double-whammy,"a new study finds.
This gene mutation causes Labradors to both feel hungry all the time and also burn fewer calories, British researchers report.
The mutation involves a gene called POMC, which plays a critical role in hunger and energy use among Labs.
About 25% of Labradors an...
Rare gene-driven defects such as Down syndrome have occurred among human beings for many thousands of years, a new analysis of ancient DNA has revealed.
Not only did the birth defects exist, but these infants were often buried with care by their community. That suggests they were included as part of the community despite their differences, researchers said.
Six cases of Down syndrom...
Women who carry certain mutations in their BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes know they are at heightened odds for breast cancer.
Now, Canadian research suggests that for some patients a "risk-reducing" preventive mastectomy may cut the odds of dying from breast cancer later.
"The decision to have a risk-reducing mastectomy is often difficult for a woman to make, and the more evidence we are able...
Accurate genetic tests for 10 common diseases are nearly ready for everyday use in doctor's offices, a new study says.
Gene scans for 10 common illnesses have been honed to the point that they now are being road-tested in clinical research, according to a team at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
The tests evaluate a person's specific genetic risk for conditions like atrial fi...
Everyone knows someone who gets COVID-19 repeatedly, and they probably also have that annoying friend who's never had the illness. What gives?
According to new research, over the long-term it's probably genetics that drives an individual's level of susceptibility to SARS-Cov-2.
"Our results suggest that initially, differences in shared home environment influenced who was infected wi...
Black people are five times as likely as others to develop glaucoma and up to 15 times more likely to be blinded by the degenerative eye disease.
Now, a new study reports that genetics appears to be at least one factor contributing to this increased risk.
Researchers have identified three gene variants that could be fueling Black people's higher glaucoma risk, according to findings ...
DNA locked in the bones and teeth of more than 5,000 humans who lived in Asia and Europe up to 34,000 years ago are providing vital clues to a myriad of present-day medical conditions.
The descendants of these ancient peoples are living now in Europe and throughout the world. But their forebearers' genetic legacy lingers, according to researchers who presented their findings in four studi...
A rare genetic mutation found in 1% of people of European descent appears to cut their odds for Parkinson's disease in half, a new study finds.
A better understanding of how this bit of DNA works might lead to better prevention and treatment of Parkinson's generally, researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) said.
"This study advances our understanding of why people...
Folks with a family history of heart disease might benefit from eating more oily fish like salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines, a new study finds.
Oily fish contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained from the diet.
People's risk of heart disease increased by more than 40% if they had low levels of omega-3 fatty acids plus...
MONDAY, Nov. 13, 2023 (Healthday News) -- Two new gene-editing treatments that target dangerously high levels of cholesterol in people with a genetic predisposition to the condition were found safe and effective in new, groundbreaking research.
While powerful drugs like statins can help manage cholesterol in most people, they can't treat those who have genes that predispose them to heart ...
Everyone knows smoking to be a major cause of cancer.
Now, exactly how tobacco smoke triggers tumor development just got a bit clearer, thanks to new Canadian research.
According to a team at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) in Toronto, smoking appears to prevent the formation of proteins that work to keep runaway cell development in check.
According t...
Scientists have discovered two genes that may trigger Raynaud's phenomenon, a condition that can cause fingers and toes to go cold and numb because of the constriction of tiny blood vessels under the skin.
"We identify two distinct genes that point to two distinct mechanisms,"lead researcher Maik Pi...
Researchers have developed an antibody that can reduce Alzheimer's-like brain damage in lab mice -- inspired by the case of one woman with remarkable resistance to the disease.
The work, by researchers at Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School in Boston, and elsewhere, began a few years ago, with the case of a woman in Colombia who had shown "extreme protection" from Alzheimer's dis...
Going vegetarian is trendy and popular, along with being a healthy choice, but a large portion of those who say they want to stick with a plant-based diet don't.
It might come down to your DNA, suggests new research that has uncovered three genes that seem to be strongly linked to vegetarianism.
"It seems there are more people who would like to be vegetarian than actually are, and ...
New research has discovered 12 gene variants that may be tied to an increased risk of attempting suicide.
These genes also may have links with physical and mental health woes, including chronic pain, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), lung conditions and heart disease.
The researchers hope this finding, published online Oct. 1 in the
Researchers have found a gene mutation linked to esophageal cancer, which could lead to better prevention and treatment strategies.
Investigators from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio found the mutation, potentially helping those at risk of what is a highly lethal cancer. Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a cancer of your food pipe.
"With this discovery, we will be able to ...
Women who carry mutations in genes known as BRCA have an elevated risk of breast cancer. But a large, new study suggests that risk may be lower than generally believed -- especially if a woman has no close relative with the disease.
The study, of more than 400,000 British adults, found that women who carried mutations in either of two genes -- BRCA1 or BRCA2 -- had a higher-than-average r...
A large number of drugs used to treat everything from multiple sclerosis to blood cancers to rheumatoid arthritis may cause a rare but often-fatal condition called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).
But a simple genetic test can determine who has a 10-fold higher risk for developing this condition, which means those patients could discuss safer treatment options with their ...
If you were a big baby -- or your spouse or partner was -- your baby has a good chance of being big, too.
New research shows parents who were large babies are more likely to give birth to a large baby.
Knowing this has the potential to improve prenatal care and interventions by identifying which pregnancies have higher risk of labor and delivery complications.
To study this, r...
Smoking may not only harm the smoker and those who breathe in the secondhand fumes, but also their future children.
New research suggests that boys who smoke in their early teens risk passing on harmful genetic traits to future children. The study probed the genetic profi...
As it stands, no one blood test or brain scan can definitively diagnose Parkinson's disease.
But researchers report this may soon change if a new blood test continues to show promise.
The test measures DNA damage in the mitochondria of cells, which is known to be higher in people with Parkinson's disease. Earlier research from the same group also showed there is an accumulation of m...
An international research team has achieved the first complete sequencing of the human Y chromosome, which is closely linked to male development.
This is the last of the human chromosomes to be fully sequenced, an effort that may shed light on everything from fertility to disease.
The work was led by the Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Consortium, which is a team of researchers funded by...
The brain is a complex organ, and a new study -- believed to be the largest ever on the brain's genetics -- identifies more than 4,000 genetic variants linked to brain structure.
The research, involving some 36,000 brain scans, was led by a team at the University of Cambridge in England.
Brains are quite varied in terms of overall volume, how the brain is folded and how thick the fo...
Genetically engineered pig kidneys are nearing the point where they could provide a government-approved, sustainable supply of organs for sick humans awaiting a transplant, a pair of new studies argue.
A lightly modified pig kidney has continued to function more than a month in a brain-dead human donor kept alive on a ventilator, according to an ongoing study conducted at NYU Langone Heal...
A newly discovered genetic variant might explain why some people of African ancestry have naturally lower viral loads of HIV, an international team of researchers reports.
This variant, carried by an estimated 4% to 13% of people of African origin, reduces their risk of transmitting the virus and slows the progress of their own illness.
It's the first new genetic variant related to ...
In a study of families that have multiple children with autism, researchers have unearthed new insights into genes that might drive the disorder.
"Study design is critical, and not enough attention has been paid to studying families with more than one affected child,"said lead author Dr. Daniel Geschwind, ...
You've likely heard that "you are what you eat,"but a new study suggests what you eat also has something to do with who you are -- genetically speaking.
Researchers have identified nearly 500 genes that appear to directly influence what someone eats. These insights could help improve personalized nutrition to boost health or prevent disease, they said.
"Some genes we identified...