January 18, 2012
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common heart rhythm disorder that, while not usually life-threatening on its own, can lead to more serious complications such as heart attack and stroke. AF can be caused by underlying heart problems but high blood pressure, being overweight, and having type 2 diabetes also [...]
December 28, 2011
We thought 2010 would be hard to top but we’re happy to say that 2011 has been even better. Scientists uncovered new insights into serious conditions like type 2 diabetes and autoimmune disorders as well as traits like iris patterns. New research has also improved our understanding of the genetics of [...]
September 30, 2011
Update: A post at the blog Your Genetic Genealogist just went up with a very similar story to mine. Check it out. It was just a few thin green segments on my fourth and seventh chromosomes that sent me searching. I wanted to know more about my family history. I pestered my mom with questions [...]
July 26, 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTYFNwxl3Pw A recent article in Wired Magazine highlighted how the genome revolution has been skipping most people in the world: 96% of participants in recent genomic studies trace most of their ancestry to Europe. Why? Statistical analysis is simpler in groups tracing [...]
June 27, 2011
By Angela Liu and Shirley Wu Nearly one in six men in the United States develops prostate cancer. This sobering statistic has spurred tremendous advances in research over the years, such that prostate cancer is now one of the most treatable and survivable cancers. But there is still much we don’t know [...]
April 26, 2010
New research, published recently in the journal Neurology, has found the surprising result that a genetic variant previously associated with better cognitive function in young people appears to have the opposite effect as people get older. Alexandra Fiocco and colleagues from the University of California, [...]
January 25, 2010
Researchers have identified another region of the genome associated with childhood asthma, a condition that affects more than seven million American kids. Analysis of DNA from about 1,700 children with asthma and 3,500 controls, all of European ancestry, identified several genetic variations on chromosome [...]
January 11, 2010
As shown in these ancestry paintings from 23andMe, the proportion of African DNA can vary widely for African Americans. A recent study led by Carlos Bustamante of Cornell and Sarah Tishkoff of the University of Pennsylvania has shown that genetically speaking, African American can mean a lot of different [...]
April 1, 2009
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide [...]
November 17, 2008
Because their ancestors often were slaves during the 18th and 19th centuries, and therefore usually lacked birth or death certificates, it is very difficult for African American genealogists to trace their ancestors further than a few generations. Even when they can trace their ancestry to the slavery era, it [...]
