In the largest-ever <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-19308" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Migraine-Photo-200x300.jpg" alt="Migraine Photo" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Migraine-Photo-200x300.jpg 200w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Migraine-Photo.jpg 566w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />with these sometimes debilitating headaches that are estimated to affect as many as a billion people worldwide.
<h2>Genetic Associations &amp; Vascular Dysfunction</h2>
Along with identifying 44 variants associated with migraines, the findings also point to vascular dysfunction as one of the biological underpinnings for the disease. Researchers have debated for years whether vascular or neuronal dysfunction could explain a propensity for migraines. This study provides the first genetic evidence pointing to vascular dysfunction as a potential cause.
“We provide evidence that migraine-associated genes are involved both in arterial and smooth muscle function,” the researchers wrote. “These results suggest that vascular dysfunction and possibly also other smooth muscle dysfunction likely play roles in migraine pathogenesis.”

<h2>What Are Migraines?</h2>
Migraines often involve debilitating pain that can last many hours, or, in some cases, days. Beyond the pain, the symptoms can trigger nausea, vomiting, and, for some who suffer from migraines with auras, distorted vision, or flashes of light. This subtype of migraine includes symptoms that often occur before a migraine starts, where those with the condition report having blind spots in their vision or seeing bright lights or other patterns.
Although the researchers looked, they could not detect any genetic associations that would differentiate the two types of migraines.
The 44 genetic variants they identified are located in 38 genes or gene regions, and many of those loci are involved in regulating vascular tissue and soft muscle tissue, such as that found inside blood vessel walls. Of the genetic variants associated with migraines, 28 were identified for the first time.
<h2>Risks Associated with Migraines</h2>
These findings are consistent with research that shows that individuals who suffer from migraines are at a higher risk for stroke and cardiovascular disease. Interestingly, the researchers also found that the same genetic variant in the PHACTR1 gene that is associated with risks for a tear in arteries in the neck – a phenomenon called Cervical Artery Dissection that is a common cause of strokes for people under 50 – is also associated with migraines.
The study&#8217;s researchers, published this week in the journal Nature Genetics, performed a meta-analysis that gathered 22 different genome-wide association studies and included data from more than 375,000 individuals worldwide.
About 173,000 of those individuals are 23andMe customers who consented to research. The 23andMe cohort was by far the largest used by the researchers. Much of the other data was collected together by the<a href="http://www.headachegenetics.org/"> International Headache Genetics Consortium</a> and included contributions from researchers in the UK, Iceland, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and Estonia. This work also follows a study done by the consortium.
&#8220;We simply can’t overstate the importance of international collaboration when studying the genetics of complex, common diseases,&#8221; said Palotie, who heads up the International Headache Genetics Consortium and works as a Research Director at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, as well as serving as an associate member at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
The researchers said the findings from this study could be a first step in developing new treatments for migraines.
The study can be found in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v48/n8/full/ng.3598.html">Nature Genetics.</a>

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

The role of genetics in migraines

Over the years we&#8217;ve been lucky enough to hear from customers who&#8217;ve used 23andMe to connect with their dads.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-21188" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/David-Quote-200x200.jpg" alt="David Quote" width="200" height="200" />


Some of them simply shared their results to see the kinds of traits they shared with the fathers. But several customers, mostly adoptees, have been able to use 23andMe to find their biological fathers. We&#8217;ve heard from  several who have found their fathers and met them for the first time.
As we get ready to celebrate Father&#8217;s Day we wanted to share one of those stories with you.
Here&#8217;s David Alquist&#8217;s story, which was recently picked up by Channel 9 in Denver. 
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Happy Father’s Day 2016

There’s a time when all of us settle down, but Robert isn’t there quite yet.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-23983" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/RoberW-300x300.jpg" alt="RoberW" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/RoberW-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/RoberW-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/RoberW-768x768.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/RoberW-880x880.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/RoberW-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/RoberW-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/RoberW-574x574.jpg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/RoberW-980x980.jpg 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/RoberW.jpg 1000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />


He’s 29, single and has a good job as an architect. He’s in no rush, but all the same that hasn’t stopped him from at least thinking about his future and what comes next. In part that’s why he tested with 23andMe.
“I was interested in learning more about my ancestry, especially within Europe,” said Robert, who lives in Maryland. “I was also interested in learning any health information that could help me plan my life better, especially since I’m at an age when having a family is on the horizon.”


His results revealed a few surprises about his ancestry, but it was the health information that he viewed as invaluable not just for his future, but also to explain something about his sister, who he said was born profoundly deaf. His test showed that Robert is a carrier for an inherited form of hearing loss.


“The cause was unknown but genetic hearing loss was always low on our list of possible reasons because no one else in our family is deaf,” Robert said. “They assumed it was not genetic, so it was always a mystery.”


The family speculated that perhaps her deafness was caused by a fever during infancy, or something his mother may have been exposed to or even his father being in areas that were sprayed with Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The family didn’t know so they were left to speculate about what caused Robert’s sister to be deaf.
But Robert believes his 23andMe results may offer a plausible explanation. His test revealed that he is a carrier for GJB2-related nonsyndromic hearing loss and deafness, DFNB1, an inherited form of hearing loss.*
To be affected a person must have two variants in the GJB2 gene, but Robert inherited just one copy, meaning he is only a carrier.
Because the condition is nonsyndromic  – meaning it lacks other symptoms – detecting it at birth in the past was exceedingly difficult.  Recent advances in universal newborn hearing screening, however, have made this and other forms of congenital deafness easier to detect. When Robert’s sister was born the family didn’t have access to those tests.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-23811" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Inheritance-300x266.jpg" alt="Inheritance" width="300" height="266" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Inheritance-300x266.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Inheritance.jpg 697w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />


“Finding out that I am a carrier may shed some light on my sister&#8217;s condition,” Robert said.


But since she hasn’t had a genetic test for the condition, he can only assume his sister may have gotten two copies, one from each of their parents.
For Robert, his results are important, he said. If, or when, he decides to have a family, knowing that he’s a carrier is something he’d want to share with his partner. That kind of knowledge is power, but Robert understands not everyone would feel the same way. Not everyone would want to know.


“Everyone is different in the way they handle that sort of news,” he said.


Robert also said that it makes a lot of sense to talk to his doctor or medical professional at some point about the results and how to best use what he’s learned.
Still he feels better knowing.
“I am glad I received this information,” Robert said. “The results were a little sobering at first, but I think it will help me plan for a better life in the long run.”


*23andMe&#8217;s carrier status tests can be used to determine carrier status in adults from saliva collected using an FDA-cleared collection device (Oragene ·DX model OGD-500.001), but cannot determine if you have two copies of the genetic variant. Each test is most relevant for people of certain ethnicities. The tests are not intended to diagnose a disease, or tell you anything about your risk for developing a disease in the future. On their own, carrier status tests are not intended to tell you anything about the health of your fetus, or your newborn child’s risk of developing a particular disease later in life.  The Nonsyndromic Hearing Loss and Deafness DFNB1 (GJB2-related) carrier status test is indicated for the detection of 2 variants in the GJB2 gene and is most relevant for people of Ashkenazi Jewish and European descent.

Planning Ahead

This past weekend the Parkinson’s disease community and the world at large lost a truly inspirational leader with the passing of Muhammad Ali. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Ali-e1496785930201.png" alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24008" width="300" height="168" />
We want to express our sympathy to his family for their loss and join countless others in celebrating his life and extraordinary achievements on behalf of many causes. 
Of course, Parkinson’s disease is a cause <a href="https://www.23andme.com/pd/">close</a> to 23andMe. 
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1984 at age 42, twenty years sooner than the average Parkinson’s patient, Ali managed to shock the world much like he did in the ring, living more than three decades with the disease. His commitment to battle the disease everyday and to not let it define or defeat him are truly inspirational for all of those living with Parkinson’s, as well as their caregivers. 
Parkinson’s affects between 7 and 10 million people worldwide. 
Together with 23andMe, Ali and his daughter Laila produced <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B9cgyEeULU">a video</a> encouraging participation in Parkinson’s disease research. Due in large part to the awareness raised by the video, and other efforts made by the Ali family, there are now more than 11,000 patients enrolled in the 23andMe Parkinson’s research study. 


This research has led to the discovery of <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/new-parkinsons-findings-published/">several new genetic associations</a> for Parkinson’s Disease. We are forever grateful for the global awareness he raised.  Because of Ali’s leadership and the courage of others with PD, we are beginning to better understand the role genetics plays along with behavior and environmental factors. 
We will, like the rest of the PD community, miss his fighting spirit.  But in his memory, the fight lives on.

Forever Grateful

Among the many brilliant performances on the History Channels remake of the series <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-23978" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/04012016_ancestryQuote_short-200x200.png" alt="04012016_ancestryQuote_short" width="200" height="200" />best known for her work on the stage.


Like many of the actors who were part of this series, and the original that first aired 39 years ago, the part had special meaning for Rose, as she said in a recent interview with <a href="http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/roots-remake-history-kizzy-anika-noni-rose-anika-noni-rose-1201785035/">Variety</a>.


“I’m very proud of being able to be a part of this and bring it back for a new generation of audiences,” she said. “Because it is ours. It is the story  of America. I’m proud to be able to bring it back and make it relevant again.”
In the spirit of Alex Haley, the search for his own family’s roots that inspired his powerful novel, many of those involved in this series explored their own ancestry including <a href="http://roots.history.com/identity">using 23andMe</a>. Rose was among those who tested with  23andMe, learning about her own roots in West Africa.
Take a look at what Anika Noni Rose says about testing and her role in the series. 
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Know Your Roots

Two fire-scarred circular structures found hidden in a cave in France have altered scientists’ perceptions of our early human cousins, the Neanderthals.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-23993" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/6000-300x180.jpg" alt="6000" width="300" height="180" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/6000-300x180.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/6000-768x461.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/6000-1024x614.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/6000-880x528.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/6000-1180x708.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/6000.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
What these almost 200,000 year-old sophisticated structures were used for remains unknown, but their discovery, described in<a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature18291.html"> the journal Nature</a>, illustrates a level of planning and organization among Neanderthal that was not known before.
“Our results therefore suggest that the Neanderthal group responsible for these constructions had a level of social organization that was more complex than previously thought,” the paper’s authors conclude.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-23459 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Neanderthal-Image-247x300.jpg" alt="Neanderthal Image" width="247" height="300" />This adds to our understanding of our ancient human cousin, and what distinguishes them from modern humans. It’s another bit of evidence to suggest that Neanderthals were more advanced than we once thought. Neanderthals thrived in Eurasia for hundreds of thousands of years before early modern humans migrated out of Africa. At some point humans and Neanderthals crossed paths, and as shown in recent DNA studies, they intermixed. Neanderthals disappeared about 40,000 years ago, but their DNA lives on in all humans outside of Africa.
This finding, at the Bruniquel Cave in southwest France, illustrates Neanderthals may have been much more advanced than we once thought.  Over the last few years other findings have indicated that Neanderthals created tools and jewelry, and ritually buried their dead.
In the cave researchers documented how the stalagmites were each chopped into similar heights of a little over a foot high, and then arranged into two oval shapes. This was done a few hundred feet inside the cave where light didn’t penetrate, and there was evidence that they used animal bones for torches. Along the structures are specific sites that show evidence of the use of fire. There are no indications that the cave was used as a dwelling or shelter, so the purpose of the site is still a mystery. But it’s construction with hundreds of evenly cut pieces, arranged in a specific pattern, necessitated some planning.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-23992" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2090-300x112.jpg" alt="2090" width="300" height="112" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2090-300x112.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2090-768x286.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2090-1024x381.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2090-880x328.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2090-1180x439.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2090.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Why Neanderthals – and another ancient cousin the Denisovans – died out and modern humans survived is a question that scientists are still trying to answer. Many of the revelations around these two ancient human cousins have been made through the use of DNA. Some suggest that intermixing with Neanderthals – which occurred about 60,000 years ago – may have helped give modern humans an <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/the-lasting-legacy-of-neanderthals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">evolutionary advantage </a>perhaps giving them a better immune response against disease as they migrated into Europe and Asia.
Understanding the traits we shared with our ancient cousins, and those we did not, will help us better understand why we survived and thrived and the Neanderthals did not, and ultimately it will help us to better understand what makes us human.

Neanderthals Were More Advanced Than Once Believed

In a wonderful interview he did with comedian W. Kamau Bell, actor and producer Levar Burton explained the significance of the current reboot of the series<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-23977" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/04012016_ancestryQuote_long-300x300.png" alt="04012016_ancestryQuote_long" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/04012016_ancestryQuote_long-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/04012016_ancestryQuote_long-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/04012016_ancestryQuote_long-768x768.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/04012016_ancestryQuote_long-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/04012016_ancestryQuote_long-880x880.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/04012016_ancestryQuote_long-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/04012016_ancestryQuote_long-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/04012016_ancestryQuote_long-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/04012016_ancestryQuote_long-980x980.png 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/04012016_ancestryQuote_long.png 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />


“Whether you feel like it has any relevance or meaning to you, the real truth is that it does,”<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/media/2016/04/history-roots-2016-remake-levar-burton-kamau-bell" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Burton said featured in the magazine Mother Jones.</a> “If you are part of the fabric of America, this is your story, too.”


That was, in part, what appealed to viewers so much when the original mini-series premiered almost 40 years ago. Roots drew in more than 100 million viewers at the time and garnered nine Emmy awards. Burton, then 19, starred as the young Kunta Kinte, both he and the series became a generational touchstone for many people, particularly African Americans.



Based on a novel by<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/546018.Roots"> Alex Haley</a>, the series tells a personal story of tracing Haley’s family history being torn from Africa, through the awful Middle Passage, and ultimately bondage in America. And driving that story all along was Haley’s own quest to learn about himself, his family and where his ancestors came from.
In an article in Reader’s Digest in the 1970s, Haley said that yearning is universal.


“In all of us there is a hunger, narrow and deep, to know our heritage to know who we are and where we have come from,” Haley said. “Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is a vacuum, an emptiness and a most disquieting loneliness.”


Many Americans are interested in their ancestors and their own cultural origins, but for African Americans, that question can be particularly hard to answer. Slavery severed their connections to Africa and the rich diversity of cultures there. Haley’s book offered African Americans a roadmap of sorts for tracing their own family stories and it reminded Americans of their own country’s history.
The advent of genetic testing has offered many African Americans a window into their ancestry that they couldn’t see any other way.
For Burton, who tested with<a href="https://www.23andme.com/roots/"> 23andMe</a>, testing was eye opening, and it’s offered others a goldmine of information that just wasn’t available before.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve always felt there was a piece of me missing,&#8221; <a href="https://www.colorlines.com/articles/see-levar-burton-malachi-kirby-learn-about-their-roots" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Burton said.</a> “I’m sure a lot of black people in this country have that same feeling… that who I am did not just begin here; that I’m part of a lineage that goes back much further than that… and to have the proof in my hand&#8230;it’s powerful.”
See Burton and the actor Malachi Kirby, who plays Kunta Kinte in the new version of Roots, talk about using 23andMe to explore their ancestry.
 
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Roots Revisited

<div id="attachment_23961" style="width: 250px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23961" class="wp-image-23961 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/esteban-gonzalez-burchard-240x300.jpg" alt="esteban-gonzalez-burchard" width="240" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/esteban-gonzalez-burchard-240x300.jpg 240w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/esteban-gonzalez-burchard-768x960.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/esteban-gonzalez-burchard-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/esteban-gonzalez-burchard-704x880.jpg 704w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/esteban-gonzalez-burchard-944x1180.jpg 944w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/esteban-gonzalez-burchard.jpg 1157w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" />Esteban G. Burchard, MD, MPH</div>
Asthma can start with simple tightness in the chest, but end in an epic battle to breathe.
So whether you are black or white, Asian or Latino, an asthma attack can be frightening, especially if you are a kid.
But who you are, or more accurately what your ancestry is, does matter in what scientists can say about the triggers, causes and biology of the disease.
There has been a lot of research that’s been done on asthma, and we know a lot about the condition. But the vast majority of that research has been done only on people of European ancestry, and in many cases it offers little insights for people of other ethnicities.
Some estimates show that<a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v475/n7355/full/475163a.html"> more than 90 percent</a> of the research into the genetics underlying disease is on individuals of European descent alone.
That’s a problem for everybody, according to the University of California at San Francisco Professor<a href="http://profiles.ucsf.edu/esteban.burchard"> Esteban Burchard</a>, an MD, MPH.


“Almost all the genetic studies of asthma have been done using white patients only, but you can’t assume these results will apply to other ethnic groups,” said Esteban, who directs the Genes-environments &amp; Admixture in Latino Americans Study and the Study of African Americans, Asthma, Genes &amp; Environments at University of California San Francisco.
He also serves as an expert on research disparities for President Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative.
<div id="attachment_23960" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23960" class="wp-image-23960 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Asthma-prevalence-300x172.jpg" alt="Asthma prevalence" width="300" height="172" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Asthma-prevalence-300x172.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Asthma-prevalence.jpg 752w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Asthma prevalence among children of different ancestry.</div>
A long-time friend of 23andMe who previously served as an advisor in the company’s effort to recruit more African Americans called “Roots into the Future,” Esteban said that the lack of diversity in research leaves non-Europeans behind in the genetics revolution and it leaves huge gaps in scientists’ understanding of disease.
There are efforts to change that.
Recently 23andMe received<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/announcements/23andme-scientists-improving-diversity-in-genetic-research/"> a National Institutes of Health grant</a> for a project that uses admixture mapping as a way to aid gaining better insight into health research for underrepresented communities. While this doesn’t involve recruiting, it could help leverage 23andMe’s diverse collection of customers who have consented to research.
The need for these kinds of approaches to improve diversity in research are very apparent. Asthma is a case in point. It is the most common chronic disease among all children, but it hits African American and Puerto Rican kids at almost twice the rate of all other children. About 18 percent of Puerto Rican children have asthma, while about 15 percent of African American kids do.
Addressing this head on, Esteban recently lead a team that completed the largest single study of the genetic and environmental causes of<a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00251-016-0914-1"> asthma in African American children</a>. The study suggests that only a tiny fraction of known genetic risk factors for the disease that have been discovered in other research actually apply to African Americans.


“This paper is an important first step towards truly understanding the biology of asthma in African Americans,” Esteban said.


The paper also reinforces the importance of gathering more research data on people of all ancestries to improve the insights that can be gained through genetic research.
The study included data from more than 1,200 African Americans, about 800 of whom have asthma, to look for genetic variants associated with the disease. The researchers looked at genetic variants known to be associated with asthma in people of European ancestry. They found that 95 percent of the variants that increase risk for asthma in Europeans didn’t appear to increase risk for African Americans. And for the first time they identified genetic variants associated with higher risk for asthma in African American children. Those variants were in or near genes that are also associated with obesity and inflammation, which could help researchers as they investigate the biology of the disease.
For Esteban this clearly shows the value of the research the team is doing by focusing on people of color.


“We want to understand why some minority communities have higher rates of disease and how they may respond differently to treatment,” he said. “But the risk factors we identify in these understudied populations can also point the way to new biology, which can be important for everyone.”

Asthma in African American Children

Anyone with inflammatory bowel disease has to be strong to handle the day-to-day challenges of living with the condition.
You need<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-23953 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/228003_209715065716926_5741766_n-200x300.jpg" alt="Dane Johnson" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/228003_209715065716926_5741766_n-200x300.jpg 200w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/228003_209715065716926_5741766_n.jpg 480w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /> even more moxie to take the extra step of being public about this serious and sometimes debilitating intestinal condition.
One of those courageous few who’ve stepped out to talk about dealing with IBD – which includes conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – is Dane Johnson.
An actor, model and now holistic nutritionist, Dane was first diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and colitis soon after finishing college. Four years later, after recovering from a life-threatening episode that left him hospitalized, Dane joined <a href="https://www.23andme.com/ibd/">23andMe’s IBD Study</a> and began talking publicly about his journey with Crohn’s and colitis.
Now a year later, we wanted to take a few moments to catch up with Dane and see what’s new. In the midst of his battle with Crohn’s, Dane, who is an athletic 6’1” was down to 125 pounds, but since then he has made a full recovery, and  gained back 55 pounds of healthy weight.
Dane has turned a corner and is back to being very active. His doctor recently informed him that his intestinal tract is showing a 75 percent decrease in visual signs of the disease.
23andMe: How are you doing? What&#8217;s changed since we last talked?
Dane: “I’m doing amazing. My energy is great and I’ve been able to take on traveling too. I graduated from school as a holistic nutritionist in January.  I  have since incorporated my own business consulting clients with IBD on a holistic approach to managing their  health and wellness goals.  I’m also still modeling and acting. ”
<div id="attachment_23951" style="width: 234px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23951" class="wp-image-23951 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/1413736-224x300.jpg" alt="A photo of Dane at 125 lbs." width="224" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/1413736-224x300.jpg 224w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/1413736.jpg 261w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px" />Dane at 125 lbs.</div>
23andMe: Crohn’s and colitis leaves a lot of people feeling isolated and alone. Often the last thing they want to do is tell someone about what they’re going through. What was it like to speak publicly about your own story?
Dane: 
“Extremely hard! There’s no way getting around that, but it’s taught me a lot about people. People tend to embrace those who share their truth. Actually it becomes empowering once you decide to take your situation into your own hands because today everyone seems to know someone dealing with something similar.”
23andMe: 
“Why did you decide to talk so openly about everything you’re going through?”
<div id="attachment_23950" style="width: 231px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23950" class="wp-image-23950 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/7531168-221x300.jpg" alt="" width="221" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/7531168-221x300.jpg 221w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/7531168.jpg 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 221px) 100vw, 221px" />Dane after his recovery.</div>
Dane: 
“I needed a way out, and surgery was the only one presented to me. I came to the conclusion that a bit of shame was nothing in comparison. It ended up being a great way to create solutions as I found answers and great connection by talking about it. If I had kept it to myself I am certain I’d still be very sick and I would have never gone back to school for natural medicine or started my own business.”
23andMe: 
“What kind of feedback have you gotten from people?”
Dane: 
“I hear that I’ve inspired a lot of people, who hear about my story. People tend to be thankful about how open I am.  I’ve been surprised that more people are dealing with a similar situation than I thought. Every time it comes up in conversation, there’s always someone who is dealing with it themselves or is close to someone who is. ”
23andMe: 
“Has it been helpful for you to talk about it and to meet others with IBD?”
Dane: 
“Extremely. It always makes me feel less alone in the world, and it takes the pressure and anxiety away when I meet people who can relate. 
23andMe: 
Why did you decide to join 23andMe’s IBD Research Study?
Dane: 
“I wanted a place to share my experience and have my story and genes be of use for others. It was a no-brainer that I wanted to participate in the study.”
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 200px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-21214" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IBD-IMage-.jpg" alt="IBD IMage" width="240" height="160" /> 
23andMe, in collaboration with Pfizer Inc, is well on its way to enrolling 10,000 people living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) to participate in<a href="https://www.23andme.com/ibd/"> research.  </a>Learn more about our study <a href="https://www.23andme.com/ibd/">here</a>.</div>
23andMe: 
“Have you had any episodes over the last year?”
Dane: 
“Yes. I tend to push the limits in my life and that has a double edged sword effect. I’ve travelled to Thailand, Cambodia, and Mexico, twice, as well as all over the U.S. since my recovery. Anyone who deals with IBD knows traveling and staying in foreign environments is not easy, almost impossible at first glance. However through these experiences I’ve learned a lot about myself and how to manage my health.”
23andMe: 
“What are you doing for work, are you still modeling or acting? How does your condition impact what you do?”
Dane: 
“I am still modeling and doing a bit of acting, while focusing on entrepreneurial efforts which are very exciting. ”
23andMe: 
“Do you have suggestions for other young people with the condition on how best to approach the day-to-day?”
Dane: 
“Consistency and building positive healing energy in your life is the key to success. Starting out with a consistent morning and night is a great way to lower symptoms and improve your ability to manage your health. Get good at knowing your triggers. It’s more specific than food. Surround yourself with positivity. Don’t be in a situation you really don’t want to be in.” 
23andMe: 
“Looking at the future what are your hopes about the current IBD research efforts? 
Dane: 
“I’m hopeful that we can learn the root causes of IBD or learn about what can trigger symptoms. Most of us don’t become aware of our illness until years after it’s taking root in our bodies. Earlier knowledge will be a game changer.”
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