May 9, 2012
Nature vs. nurture is a question scientists and non-scientists alike have grappled with since the earliest days of human history. One concept we use to describe these two complementary forces is "heritability", or the proportion of variation in the development of a disease or trait in a population that's due [...]
November 22, 2011
For some, eating a doughnut every morning is a recipe for heart attack. For others, the doughnut doesn’t seem to matter—it’s almost as if certain individuals can’t get heart disease even if they try. The flip side is that people who are predisposed to heart disease can make lifestyle changes, in this [...]
June 28, 2010
British researchers have identified four new genetic variants that may influence a male's risk for testicular cancer. These results, published recently in the journal Nature Genetics, along with variations in three genetic regions previously identified by the same group, are beginning to shed some light on [...]
December 4, 2009
We all know people struggling with weight issues. Maybe they’re overweight and can’t seem to lose the pounds no matter what new diet or exercise regime they try. Or, maybe they’re underweight and have a hard time bulking up no matter how many donuts they consume or weights they lift. Clearly, there’s [...]
June 18, 2009
It's no secret that obesity rates are rising -- quickly. Between 2000 and 2005 the prevalence of obesity rose by 24%. Extreme obesity increased by more than 50%. If current trends continue, more than half of all Americans will be clinically obese by the year 2030. Rapid changes in the prevalence of a [...]
June 2, 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 [...]
May 28, 2009
Type 1 diabetes is on the rise in European children, says a new report. Researchers studied type 1 diabetes data collected between 1989 and 2003 at 20 centers in 17 European countries. Their results, published online yesterday in the Lancet, show that more children, especially younger children, are being [...]
September 8, 2008
A good diet and plenty of exercise are important for maintaining a healthy weight, but they’re not the whole story. Studies have shown that there’s a substantial genetic component to body mass index. Research published today in Archives of Internal Medicine demonstrates, however, that in people with a [...]
