Although gout is widely perceived as being caused by diet, new evidence suggests that a more important factor is genes in the development of high serum (blood) urate levels. The study was published in The BMJ. Gout, a joint disease that causes extreme pain and swelling, is most common in men aged 40 and older.… Continue reading Genetics, Not Diet, Seen as A Major Factor in Gout
Tag: genetics
Breast Cancer in Men: Treatments and Genetic Counseling
An update from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on male breast cancer, risk factors and treatment options: Can men get breast cancer? Yes. Although breast cancer is a disease usually associated with women, men get it too. Because male breast cancer is rare, there is very limited information on how to treat men… Continue reading Breast Cancer in Men: Treatments and Genetic Counseling
A Better Understanding of COPD and Genetics
Researchers have uncovered 13 new genetic regions that are linked to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The illness is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Smoking still is the most important risk factor for COPD, but the discovery expands the understanding of the role genetics plays. The finding, by researchers from Brigham… Continue reading A Better Understanding of COPD and Genetics
Removing Race from Human Genetic Research
A group of scientists is urging colleagues to take a step forward and stop using racial categories when researching and studying human genetics. According to a February 2016 release from Drexel University in Philadelphia, the opening passage of a paper published in Science, written by Drexel School of Public Health’s Michael Yudell, the University of… Continue reading Removing Race from Human Genetic Research
A Search for Better Hearing-Loss Treatments
Researchers have made a discovery that paves the way for understanding the “genetics of hearing” and may eventually lead to better treatment for hearing loss. Almost 40 million Americans suffer from hearing loss. There is no way to reverse this condition, largely because auditory hair cells, which sense sound and relay that information to the… Continue reading A Search for Better Hearing-Loss Treatments
Most People Eager to Know the Secrets of Their Genetics
A survey done by Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the UK of nearly 7,000 people has revealed that 98 per cent want to be informed if researchers using their genetic data stumble upon indicators of a serious preventable or treatable disease. The study, which comes after the government’s announcement that Genomics England will sequence 100,000… Continue reading Most People Eager to Know the Secrets of Their Genetics
How’s Your Health? Daily Habits vs. Genetics
I was having lunch at a restaurant and I overheard some older folks talking about their health. The conversation was about the connection between what they ate and the risk of suffering from a heart attack—the consensus being that their diet was not really that important and their genes were. They were pre-programmed for a… Continue reading How’s Your Health? Daily Habits vs. Genetics
The 5 Worst Myths About Obesity
More than a third of adults in the United States, 35.1 percent, are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Nearly 70 percent are at least overweight, and obesity in adolescents has quadrupled in the past three decades. “Despite all the attention, an unhealthy amount of body fat remains an insidious problem,” says Dr.… Continue reading The 5 Worst Myths About Obesity