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.
...
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 Alzheime...
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...
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...
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 prev...
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-...
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 curt...
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.<...
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 conditi...
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
A genetic mutation that boosts cell function could protect people against Alzheimer's disease, even if they carry another gene mutation known to boost
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...
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 successful...
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 interleuk...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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.
�...
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 Bro...
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...
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.
Researche...
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 w...
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, res...
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 ...
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 ...
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, smo...
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 mech...
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 elsewh...
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...
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 h...
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 letha...
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 Britis...
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...
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 int...
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 ...
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 h...
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 t...
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 Ca...
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 m...
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 ...
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,�...
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 insig...
In the world of COVID-19 infections, the majority of patients develop symptoms, while about one-fifth mysteriously don't develop a cough, sore throat or other tell-tale signs of illness.
Now, new research finds that these symptom-free super-dodgers are more than twi...
Alzheimer's disease is a devastating diagnosis, and if a close relative has had it you may worry whether you will be next.
According to the National Institutes of Health, it is estimated...
It's common knowledge that loss is a part of male aging — loss of hair, loss of muscle tone, loss of vision or hearing.
But men growing older also start losing the very thing that makes them biological males, their Y chromosome, and that can leave them more vulnerable ...
Learning that your loved one has Alzheimer's disease can be frightening and leave you feeling lost and unsure.
To help you better understand the condition and what you can do to manage it, experts detail what causes Alzheimer's disease. In this guide, you'll learn about ...
The so-called “Viking disease” causes the fingers of many aging northern European men to lock up in a bent position, and researchers now think they know why.
Genetic variants inherited from Neanderthal man appear to be the most powerful risk factors for developing Du...
The most common screening test for prostate cancer so often returns a false positive result that it's no longer recommended for men older than 70, and it's offered as a personal choice for younger men.
But researchers think they've found a way to make the blood test for ...
Genetic mutations caused this latest bird flu season to become more severe, increasing the risk it poses to humans and other mammals, a new study finds.
The H5N1 avian influenza virus gained the ability to severely infect the brains of mammalian test subjects like ferret...
People with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease may have an increased risk of epilepsy, a new study says. And folks with a certain type of epilepsy may have higher odds of developing Alzheimer's disease.
Having Alzheimer's was linked to a 5.3% increased risk...