February 22, 2013
Image by Mariana Ruiz LadyofHats [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons New research suggests that a once-fatal congenital heart defect — sometimes called “blue baby syndrome” — is influenced by genetic factors that are broadly found in the general population. Different heart malformations lead to [...]
December 12, 2011
Oxytocin is Greek for “swift birth,” but this hormone — which helps induce labor and promote lactation — has garnered many other names in the media, from the “cuddle chemical” to the “morality molecule.” The “pro-social” effects of oxytocin on humans has become the subject of innumerable [...]
October 18, 2011
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by very high levels of sugar in the blood and is the most common form of diabetes. Although eating rich food and leading a sedentary lifestyle contribute to the development of this disease, genetics also play a role. For reasons unclear to researchers, people of South Asian [...]
July 23, 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 [...]
July 21, 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 [...]
June 29, 2009
Much to the surprise of many scientists, a lot of the SNPs identified in genomewide association studies have not been in the parts of genes that encode the molecular machinery of a cell. Instead, many SNPs have been found on the edges of genes, in regions of DNA that control when the genes get turned on or [...]
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 [...]
December 16, 2008
In the current issue of Nature Genetics, two teams of researchers identify nine new genetic locations associated with obesity. Almost all of them are within or close to genes that are expressed in the brain, especially the part that regulates appetite. "This underscores the importance of genes that [...]
December 8, 2008
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 [...]
August 31, 2008
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 [...]
