<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-13198 size-full" title="whitebloodcell" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/whitebloodcell.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="260" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/whitebloodcell.jpg 350w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/whitebloodcell-300x223.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" />Crohn’s disease develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own gut cells.
Although most people with European ancestry are pretty genetically similar, some sub-groups like Ashkenazi Jews have distinct genetic characteristics that carry important implications for health. For instance, people with <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/detail-for-ashkenazi-ancestry">Ashkenazi ancestry</a> have higher rates of numerous rare genetic disorders like <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/carrier/tay-sachs-disease">Tay-Sachs disease</a> and are at increased risk for certain multi-gene conditions like Crohn’s disease.
The exact cause of Crohn’s disease isn’t known, but this inflammatory bowel disease may result from a case of mistaken identity – the immune system mounts a reaction to an invader and ends up attacking the body’s own cells, too. At least 12 genetic factors have been associated with Crohn’s disease in Europeans. Although researchers don’t know why people with Ashkenazi ancestry are two to four times more likely to develop Crohn’s disease, they suspect that the genetic “uniqueness” of this group may have something to do with it. 
 
To investigate this intriguing idea, a research team led by scientists at Columbia University and Mount Sinai carried out a study looking at nearly 2,000 people with Crohn’s disease and roughly 4,500 people without it, all of <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/ashkenazi-ancestry-and-health">Ashkenazi descent</a>. The results, published in <a href="http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pgen.1002559">PLoS Genetics</a> earlier this year, replicate previously reported associations for people of European descent and also identify novel factors specific to those with Ashkenazi ancestry.
In the new study by lead author Eimear Kenny, individuals with the C version of and the G version of had slightly higher odds of developing Crohn’s disease. Two other factors seemed to be protective. People with the T version of and the G version of had slightly lower odds of developing Crohn’s disease. More research is needed to understand how these genetic variants influence the biology of the disease.
These new findings confirm that genetics likely has something to do with the higher rates of Crohn’s disease in people with <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/detail-for-ashkenazi-ancestry">Ashkenazi ancestry</a>. All of the newly discovered factors appeared to be specific to Ashkenazi ancestry as they weren’t found in previous studies carried out with broader European study groups.
May is Jewish American Heritage Month. Read about <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/?p=13178">the “uniqueness” of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry</a> and how it’s important for health. Read more about Jewish ancestry in guest posts by 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Ambassadors, Tim Janzen,  CeCe Moore, and  Andrea Badger.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Genetic Factors for Crohn’s Identified for Ashkenazi Jewish Ancestry

There are many wonderful things about being a woman, but our increased risk of autoimmune disease is not one of them. Autoimmune diseases are essentially civil wars within the body &#8212; the body’s immune system attacks its own organs and tissues. The term “autoimmune” covers a wide variety of conditions, from rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis to the lesser-known conditions of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and SjÃ¶gren’s syndrome.
One commonality of these conditions is that they affect women much more frequently than men. In some cases, this g<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-12225 size-large" alt="" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Autoimmune1.jpg" width="535" height="392" />ender bias is quite striking; Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, a condition in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, affects women ten times more often than men. Some autoimmune diseases, however, are less biased; type I diabetes, for instance, affects women and men at approximately the same rate.
Why women are disproportionately affected by autoimmune disease is not fully known or understood, although the hypotheses are numerous. Some research suggests that estrogen may help antibody production and immune system response, but can also lead to an overly active immune system. Other research indicates that genes on the X chromosomes may play a role in these immune system mutinies, and women &#8212; who have two X chromosomes &#8212; may thus be at an increased risk over men who have only one X chromosome.
Still other research suggests that “fetal-maternal microchimerism” may be the root cause. In this strange-sounding phenomenon, a small number of the baby’s cells pass through the placenta into the mother and continue to live within the mother. The presence of these foreign fetal cells within the mother may result in an incorrect immune system response and autoimmune disease. More research, however, is needed to establish which of these hypotheses (if any) are correct.
Autoimmune diseases are serious medical concerns for women; indeed, when taken together, autoimmune diseases constitute one of the top ten causes of death among young and middle-aged women. The irony of these conditions is that the immune system, which should be a woman’s greatest ally in fighting disease, becomes her worst enemy. Why and how a body’s betrayal occurs needs to be better understood through further research.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-12789" alt="" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2012-nwhw-web-banner.png" width="408" height="104" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2012-nwhw-web-banner.png 408w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2012-nwhw-web-banner-300x76.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 408px) 100vw, 408px" />

The War Waged Within: Autoimmunity in Women

An editorial in today’s Science Translational Medicine about traumatic brain injuries, genetics, and the long-term risks of degenerative brain disease caught our eye.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-22084 size-medium" title="Anne black and white" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Anne_Color_-Seated-250x300.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Anne_Color_-Seated-250x300.jpg 250w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Anne_Color_-Seated-768x923.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Anne_Color_-Seated-852x1024.jpg 852w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Anne_Color_-Seated-732x880.jpg 732w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Anne_Color_-Seated-982x1180.jpg 982w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" />
<h2>Long-Term Risks</h2>
According to the authors, the suicide of former star NFL linebacker Junior Seau, a death that mirrored other suicides of former NFL players who’d suffered degenerative brain damage, prompted them to provocatively ask whether prospective players of high-impact sports or future soldiers should be genotyped to gauge their <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1007051">long-term risks from traumatic brain injuries</a>.
<a href="http://www.mountsinai.org/profiles/samuel-e-gandy">Sam Gandy</a> and Steven T. DeKosky point out that studies clearly link a person’s APOE-4 status – a genetic variant associated with higher risks for Alzheimer’s disease – with an increased risk for degenerative brain disease in response to traumatic brain injuries.
<h2>Would You Want to Know?</h2>
Would you want to know if your son or daughter had a higher risk?
I would.
In fact, I do know because my kids have been tested. Interestingly, Gandy and DeKosky asked about 100 traumatic brain injury experts whether they thought genotyping future athletes or soldiers was worthwhile. Most said it was too soon. But when asked whether they’d have their children genotyped to gauge the risk, more than half said they would.
I thought that was telling.
<h2>Who is at risk for TBIs?</h2>
It’s not just professional athletes and soldiers who are at risk from traumatic brain injury.
More than 1.7 million people a year sustain a traumatic brain injury, and about 50,000 of them die each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. There are both emotional and financial costs from these injuries.
It’s worth knowing more about the complicated environmental and genetic factors that could explain why traumatic brain injuries lead to long-term disabilities in some people and not in others.
Gandy and DeKosky’s paper is focused on APOE-4, traumatic brain injury, and the risk of one form of degenerative brain disease.
<h2>23andMe Research</h2>
23andMe is looking more broadly at this issue, studying the complicated interaction between our genetics and environment. This can tell us a lot about health risks. It’s often said that our genetics “loads the gun, while the environment pulls the trigger.” In the case of traumatic brain injuries, there is increasing evidence of this interaction.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-12771" title="Boxinggloves" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Boxinggloves-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Boxinggloves-200x300.jpg 200w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Boxinggloves.jpg 283w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />
Recently we began genotyping professional boxers involved in a study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. This landmark study of professional fighters will help determine whether magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, along with other tests, can detect subtle changes in brain health that correlate with impaired thinking and functioning in response to boxing or head trauma. 23andMe is genotyping these athletes to help determine if there might be any genetic association that would make the athletes more or less susceptible to long-term brain injuries.
<h2>Learn More</h2>
Our researchers are also looking in other areas. 23andMe’s innovative research model allows us to track the relationship between certain genotypes and long-term disease. We’ve asked members of our Parkinson’s Research Community about their history of head trauma, for instance, and we can follow our community members over time, giving us insight into the connection between genetics, environmental factors, and long-term outcomes.
If the experts in traumatic brain injury think there&#8217;s value in using genotyping to gauge the risks of high-impact sports for their own children, as noted by the authors in the Science paper, it must be of value to others, too.

Genetics and the Risks from Traumatic Brain Injuries

Two of the biggest physical milestones in a woman’s life are menarche (pronounced “MEN-ar-kee”), the first menstrual period in girls, and menopause, when menstruation stops and female reproductive hormones slow. These milestones are universal and mark the beginning and end of a woman’s reproductive cycle.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12789" title="2012-nwhw-web-banner" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2012-nwhw-web-banner-300x76.png" alt="" width="300" height="76" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2012-nwhw-web-banner-300x76.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2012-nwhw-web-banner.png 408w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Research suggests that the age at which menarche and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15769979" target="_blank" rel="noopener">menopause</a> occur is about 50% influenced by genetics and 50% determined by non-genetic factors, though there is also some evidence that menarche may be more strongly influenced by genetics than menopause.
<div style="float: right; text-align: justify; width: 285px; background-color: #fdeef4; padding: 15px; margin-top: 10px; margin-left: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; font-size: 12px;">
<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12786" title="Sekihan" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Sekihan-300x285.jpg" alt="" width="285" />
Marking Menarche 
Menarche marks an important rite of passage because it signals the possibility of fertility although <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6249519" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ovulatory cycles don’t typically begin</a> for a few more years. Many cultures have traditionally recognized this time in a girl’s life through celebrations, ceremonies, or other rituals. In Japan, “red rice” (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sekihan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sekihan</a>) is customarily served for a girl’s first period and Navajo Native Americans have celebrated this time with <a href="http://voices.yahoo.com/native-american-culture-perspectives-kinaalda-the-144347.html?cat=9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kinaalda</a>, which translates as “puberty ceremony”. During this four-day ritual girls run footraces to exhibit their strength and are initiated into womanhood with a ceremony. Such rituals are less commonly observed today.
</div>
<h6>Age at Menarche</h6>
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12509562" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Studies have found</a> that nearly all girls in the US menstruate by the age of 14, with the median age around 12 and one-half years. These numbers <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/health/research/09puberty.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">haven’t really changed</a> over the last few decades, although <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/health/research/09puberty.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">girls today</a> may show signs of puberty (breast growth and pubic hair display) at a younger age. The average age of menarche can vary by ethnicity, though, and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12509562" target="_blank" rel="noopener">African-American girls typically start menstruating</a> before girls of European descent.
In addition to genetics, timing of menarche is influenced by environmental factors such as nutritional status and exercise. Early menarche has been associated with increased risk for breast cancer and endometrial cancer, a connection that many theorize is related to the body&#8217;s exposure to estrogen, a female reproductive hormone.
<h6>Age at Menopause</h6>
Menopause typically occurs between the ages of 40 and 60 with the <a href="http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/menopause" target="_blank" rel="noopener">average age around 51 years</a>. A woman knows that she’s entering menopause if she experiences hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, irregular libido, and mood swings, symptoms that can sometimes be alleviated by hormone replacement therapy. A small fraction of women experience “early menopause” in their 30s, which can cause fertility problems and may also be influenced by genetic factors.
<h6>Research on Menarche and Menopause</h6>
Although some genome-wide association studies have been carried out to identify genetic factors for age at menarche, much less is known about the genetics underlying age at menopause. These important milestones are known to be influenced by ancestral origin, though more research is needed to identify genetic factors in non-European populations.
It&#8217;s National Women&#8217;s Health Week. Stay tuned for more posts about big health issues facing women today including autoimmune diseases, infertility and breast cancer.

From Menarche to Menopause

Last week we quizzed our readers on traits associated with BMI among 23andMe’s customers. Congratulations to Suellen, the winner of the quiz! She got all three answers correct and will receive an Amazon gift card. So what were the correct answers? Read on&#8230;
Which physical trait is most associated with BMI? Shoe size.
<div style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; border: 1px solid #ccc; width: 600px;"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-12686" title="BMI-physical" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BMI-physical-1024x442.png" alt="" width="600" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BMI-physical-1024x442.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BMI-physical-300x130.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BMI-physical-768x332.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BMI-physical-880x380.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BMI-physical-1180x510.png 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Shoe size is very strongly correlated with BMI in 23andMe’s database. For each standard deviation increase in shoe size, BMI increases by 1.18 units. Put another way, the BMI of the bottom fifth of the shoe size distribution is 3.21 units lower on average than that of the top fifth. This corresponds to a difference of about 20 lbs in people who are 5’8” tall.
We’re really not sure what to make out of this one. Shoe size is also correlated with height but when we factored height into the analysis shoe size was still the most strongly correlated trait. Anecdotally, people’s shoe sizes can increase or decrease with weight gain and loss. It’s possible that people with wider feet may compensate by increasing their shoe size instead of choosing a wider shoe of the same size, or perhaps shoe size is a proxy for body frame, and people with larger shoe sizes have “bigger bones”. Have a theory? Add it to the comments below.
Having a round face, low arches, upturned nose, and feet that point outwards are also associated with BMI but to a lesser extent.
Which food item is most associated with BMI? Diet soda.
<div style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; border: 1px solid #ccc; width: 600px;"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-12687" title="BMI-food" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BMI-food-1024x430.png" alt="" width="600" /></div>
The surprise for us here was that ice cream consumption was not really correlated with BMI at all. On the other hand, people who drink diet soda five or more times a day have an average BMI nearly 5 units higher than those who never drink diet soda. Not to imply that we should all trade in that diet coke for a double hot fudge sundae &#8212; we don’t know whether drinking soda is a cause, a consequence, or just linked to something else that causes weight gain. These findings do, however, parallel that of a study conducted in Texas, in which normal weight individuals were followed for 8 years. People who reported drinking more diet soda gained more weight over those 8 years, suggesting that diet soda might actually lead more directly to weight gain.(1) But for now, the jury’s still out.
Some other foods were associated with BMI, too, including red meat, yogurt, and vegetables.
Which personality or behavior trait is most associated with BMI? Activity and depression.
<div style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; border: 1px solid #ccc; width: 600px;"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-12688" title="BMI-personality" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BMI-personality-1024x549.png" alt="" width="600" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BMI-personality-1024x549.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BMI-personality-300x161.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BMI-personality-768x412.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BMI-personality-880x472.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BMI-personality-1180x633.png 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
These are less of a surprise. Activity is strongly correlated with BMI, and is no doubt due to the calorie burning benefits of exercise. The reverse may also be true &#8212; being overweight may itself decrease activity levels, creating a vicious cycle.
For depression, the arrow of causation seems to point in both directions. For example, a recent meta-analysis found that being overweight or obese increased the risk of developing depression, and having depression increased the risk of becoming obese.(2)
Having greater levels of self-discipline was correlated with lower BMI to a lesser extent, but aside from this we didn’t find a significant relationship between BMI and any other personality factors.
Check back soon for our next quiz and another chance to win!
(1)  Fowler, SP, Williams, K, Resendez, RG, Hunt, KJ, Hazuda, HP, &amp; Stern, MP. (2008). Fueling the Obesity Epidemic? Artificially Sweetened Beverage Use and Long-term Weight Gain. Epidemiology, 16(8): 1894-1900.
(2)  Luppino, FS, de Wit, LM, Bouvy, PF, Stijnen, T, Cuijpers, P, Penninx, BWJH, Zitman, FG (2010). Overweight, Obesity, and Depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010;67(3):220-229.

Quiz Answers: Traits Associated With BMI

Andrew Rubin and Ricardo Villarreal’s film Ride With Larry is about more than a guy with Parkinson’s pedaling across South Dakota.
It&#8217;s about the singular idea that whatever life throws at you the best choice is to live to the fullest.
“I’ll never give up,” Larry Smith says at one point during the film. “I know that this will some day take me, but I’m not going to walk away from life.”<iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SNblbb3tyGI" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe>
We first heard about Larry when Andrew and Ricardo came through town to interview our CEO Anne Wojcicki and Emily Drabant, who heads up our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/pd/">Parkinson’s Research Community</a>.
Larry is a retired police captain who opened a small town bakery. His example has already inspired his family and the people in his small town of Vermillion. Andrew and Ricardo hope to inspire others with Larry’s story. For Andrew the film is also personal as his own father and a cousin are living with Parkinson’s. He hopes to rally people behind efforts to research the disease, including 23andMe’s own <a href="https://www.23andme.com/pd/">Parkinson’s Research Community</a>.
A few days ago we got wind that “Ride with Larry” was in post-production, along with the note, “Would we like to see a short preview?”
It’s an awesome peek at what the filmmakers have been up to and we&#8217;re grateful that they’ve shared it with us.
Andrew and Ricardo, who are still busy editing, also were gracious enough to answer a few questions.
How is Larry doing since you guys finished up?
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-12535 size-full" title="AndrewRicardo" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/AndrewRicardo.jpg" alt="" width="525" height="276" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/AndrewRicardo.jpg 525w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/AndrewRicardo-300x158.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px" />
Andrew and Ricardo: Larry is doing great; he is obviously very excited about the film and can&#8217;t wait for it to be finished. Larry has become a small celebrity in his state of South Dakota and continues to inspire his community in many ways, including his determination to get up everyday and bake his famous bread.  Since we finished shooting last summer, Larry also has a new granddaughter.
In terms of his battle with Parkinson&#8217;s, Larry continues to fight.  He  exercises  regularly and this June the people of Vermillion, SD are planning a one day ride in honor of Larry to continue raising awareness for Parkinson&#8217;s.
What have you learned or are most excited about from the experience of shooting this film?
Ricardo: What I learned from shooting this incredible story is that life is so precious and there is no excuse not to enjoy it and live it the best way you can.
Although there&#8217;s no cure for Parkinson&#8217;s yet, we have the power and the choice to live life to the fullest. This experience also taught me that real heroes can be found within ordinary people. You don&#8217;t have to be someone famous, rich, or powerful to be a role model and to make a positive impact in your community.
The excitement about shooting the film is that we have this great opportunity to share this inspiring story with the world and spread Larry&#8217;s message of hope.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-12536" title="Ride with Larry" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Ride-with-Larry-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Ride-with-Larry-200x300.jpg 200w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Ride-with-Larry-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Ride-with-Larry-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Ride-with-Larry-587x880.jpg 587w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Ride-with-Larry-787x1180.jpg 787w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Ride-with-Larry-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />
At the same time,  we are also excited to work together with great organizations that are working hard to find a cure for Parkinson&#8217;s and we want to be part of this movement. Nothing would be more rewarding than to know our film has inspired many people to live better. Additionally, we believe our film can help bring more people to contribute to Parkinson&#8217;s research. Everyone can make a difference, and the more people get involved, the closer we will be to finding a cure.
Andrew: In the process of making this film I learned to embody the very lessons I&#8217;ve witnessed behind the lens of a camera.  Making Ride with Larry has given me perspective.  Every day I watch the struggles of both my father and Larry as they battle Parkinson&#8217;s and Larry&#8217;s wife Betty and my own mother as they confront the difficulties of life as a caretaker.
In the act of telling Larry&#8217;s story, I have come to recognize that in sharing his message, I must also learn it and live it.  The struggles of Parkinson&#8217;s are of the whole body and mind.  They are second-to-second, nerve ending to muscle.  And they choose not to succumb.  If I can face my challenges, no matter how small or large, with the gift of perspective, then I know I can rise to meet them.
It has been amazing not just to be a witness to Larry&#8217;s victory, but to be a part of his ride.  The next exciting part of this journey will be in sharing this story with the world and working to get as many people as possible involved in the Parkinson&#8217;s community and the search for a cure.
What&#8217;s next?
Ricardo: With &#8220;Ride with Larry&#8221;, the next thing is just around the corner: to show this film to audiences everywhere and to grow this movement.

Ride With Larry

<img decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-219" title="feetscale" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/feetscale.jpg" alt="" width="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/feetscale.jpg 425w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/feetscale-300x199.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 425px) 100vw, 425px" />
Besides height and weight, can you guess what feature is most strongly correlated with body mass index (BMI)? Over the next few months, we’ll be testing your knowledge of some of the most interesting associations we’re seeing in the 23andMe database. Guess right, and you could win cool prizes, including gift cards and 23andMe schwag! Then come back the next week to learn the answers and see who won.
This quiz is now closed. Read on to learn more about how we find these associations! 
 
What can we discover?
23andMe helps its customers connect with the latest research on correlations between genetic variations and health conditions and traits. These genetic variations could be pieces of the puzzle explaining why some people develop, say, type 2 diabetes, or why some people have curly hair.
With the help of our customers we’ve also made new discoveries of genetic associations for things like smelling the asparagus when you pee, Parkinson’s disease, and hypothyroidism. But you can explore correlations between practically anything, and 23andMe’s database, which so far has more than 150,000 genotyped customers contributing more than 40 million answers on hundreds of different topics, is a uniquely powerful platform for discovery.
What’s in a correlation?
<div style="border: 1px solid #ccc; width: 315px; padding: 10px; margin-left: 15px; background-color: #eee; font-size: 11px; float: right;">
Does correlation imply causation?
No. Correlation sometimes points to causes &#8212; cigarette smoke contributing directly to lung cancer is a common example &#8212; but it can often be due to some other underlying factor. For example, owning a house may be correlated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes*, but this doesn’t mean that home ownership protects you from having the disease. Instead, it could be that some other factor, such as higher socioeconomic status, makes it more likely that someone is able to buy a house as well as eat a healthier diet, which helps lower one’s risk for type 2 diabetes.
To avoid these sorts of “phantom” associations, researchers often add include demographic or other factors in their analyses to see if those factors explain away the findings. This is usually referred to as “controlling for” various factors.
* fictitious example
</div>
When we search for correlations, we’re looking to see whether there’s a relationship between two different variables, such as smoking and lung cancer. Sometimes we might investigate the relationship between two specific things, but often researchers will look at many different variables to see if any of them are correlated with the outcome of interest. In genetic associations, most studies routinely look at thousands or millions of genetic variants to find correlations with a trait or disease.
When we do this, we are essentially testing many different hypotheses at once. Each variable that you investigate gives you another chance to find a correlation, but if you find one, is it because it’s a real correlation, or simply because you looked at so many variables that one of them just happened to work? We can calculate statistics to measure how likely it is for a finding to be due to chance (also called “statistical significance”), and adjust these statistics based on how many different things we’re testing. After all that’s said and done, the less likely it is that a finding is due to chance, the more likely it is to represent a real association.
More than genetics
Because 23andMe looks at numerous traits as well as genetics, we can explore not just whether genetic factors are correlated with traits, but whether different traits are correlated with each other. For example, we’ve tested BMI against approximately 1000 different traits, habits, and conditions reported by our customers. What we found might surprise you&#8230;
<a title="Quiz Answers: Traits Associated With BMI" href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/bmi-quiz-answers/">Check out this post to see what we discovered!</a>

What Do Diet and Personality Have to Do With BMI?

If you were facing a daunting diagnosis you would want the news to come from someone like Dr. J. William Langston.
Engaged and intelligent, he has the kind of optimism you don’t expect from a physician who has spent decades working to unravel the complexities of Parkinson’s disease.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-12362 size-medium" title="Langston" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Langston-253x300.jpg" alt="" width="253" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Langston-253x300.jpg 253w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Langston-741x880.jpg 741w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Langston.jpg 750w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 253px) 100vw, 253px" />
“Things have changed dramatically in that time,” Dr. Langston says, his eyes squinting as he smiles. “There is a lot to be optimistic about.”
Some of those changes are because of the work he’s done. As the Scientific Director, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the<a href="http://www.thepi.org/"> Parkinson’s Institute</a>, Dr. Langston was recently singled out for his work and awarded the 2012 Robert A. Pritzker Prize for Leadership in Parkinson&#8217;s Research.
After picking up the award in New York, Langston, who also serves on 23andMe’s Parkinson’s Research Community<a href="https://www.23andme.com/pd/#section4"> Scientific Advisory Board</a>, stopped by our office to talk about the state of the science of Parkinson’s and share a little about his career in the process.
In a way, Langston is already the doctor for anyone with Parkinson’s – his contributions to research, treatment and diagnosis of the disease are that important. And those contributions started almost 30 years ago with the famous case of the “Frozen Addicts.”  This fascinating medical mystery, solved by Dr. Langston, involved a handful young people who in a matter of days became debilitated with advanced Parkinson’s symptoms that would normally have taken a patient decades to develop. Langston found that they were all linked to the same batch of synthetic heroin, contaminated with<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPTP"> MPTP</a>, a neurotoxin that “lasers like a Nike missile on the same nerve cells in the brain that die in Parkinson’s,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substantia_nigra"> (in the) substantia nigra</a>,” Dr. Langston said.
“That really revolutionized research because it gave us a model and a way to study neurological cell death in Parkinson’s,” he said.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-11373" title="researchrevolution-fist" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/researchrevolution-fist-173x300.jpg" alt="" width="173" height="300" />
That work led Langston to found the Parkinson’s Institute, a place where basic research, clinical research and patient care could be done side-by-side. He believes it gives context and perspective for his researchers.
“Anyone working on this disease will feel a sense of urgency, because they see it,” Dr. Langston said.
And in the last 30 years the work has helped produce some of the insights that have significantly changed outcomes for people with Parkinson’s.
Doctors have changed how they use drugs to treat the disease. For a time the problem wasn’t so much that the drugs didn’t work but that side effects would build up to the point where doses would have to be lowered right at the time when they were needed most. Now, doctors are getting much better at calibrating the use of medicine and managing the symptoms of Parkinson’s.
While there have been great leaps in understanding of the disease, insight into its progression and avenues for research into a cure, Dr. Langston pointed out that simply diagnosing Parkinson’s early enough – when symptoms are largely benign – and then using medication to halt or drastically slow its progression, would be a great success. Here he felt researchers are very close.
“Already we are on the cusp of bringing out new drugs that work against these side effects and if you put that together with an early diagnosis, you are looking at really managing the disease and giving people a good life,” said Dr. Langston. “Because those early symptoms are so mild, if you get in there and halt it at that point that’s almost as good as a cure.”
This, in part, is why finding the early indicators of the disease is so important. 
When he first started his association with 23andMe, he would get questions from those who wondered why you would want to know if you had a genetic risk for Parkinson’s.
“I hear that less and less I think because 23andMe is helping to change that,” he said. “People see value in it. Knowledge is power. The more you know and understand the more you can do.”
Beyond looking at genetics there are other early indicators. His team is looking at things like autonomic innervation of the heart and REM sleep patterns, or loss of the sense of smell as early indicators for the disease.
“It’s a major focus of the research to find the markers before you have any disability,” he said. “We’re hoping that 23andMe will be part of this effort to find the tools where we can pick this up.”
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-12363" title="Pritzker-photo" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Pritzker-photo-254x300.jpg" alt="" width="254" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Pritzker-photo-254x300.jpg 254w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Pritzker-photo-768x906.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Pritzker-photo-868x1024.jpg 868w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Pritzker-photo-746x880.jpg 746w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Pritzker-photo-1000x1180.jpg 1000w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Pritzker-photo.jpg 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 254px) 100vw, 254px" />
But of course, Dr. Langston isn’t satisfied with merely managing the symptoms of the disease; he’d like to cure it. Here, too, he is very optimistic saying what we are so much closer in understanding the underlying causes and pathways for the disease. We are seeing more and more the interrelationship between genetic and environmental factors in the disease, “this notion that your genetics loads the gun and the environment pulls the trigger,” said Dr. Langston.
But even in cases where genetics isn’t involved, genetics research provides great benefit, he said.
“It’s not at all unusual that a rare genetic form turns out to be hugely informative for the common sporadic form of the diseases – we’ve seen this with Alzheimer’s,” said Dr. Langston. “ Each of these new genetic variants, some of which are incredibly rare, have led us to a new protein and that protein leads us to a pathway and that pathway is obviously leading to cell death and Parkinson’s.”
Langston said many of these pathways intersect with mitochondria, the energy packet of cells, and offer giant clues for research into sporadic forms of Parkinson’s.
He sees great promise for what is being done in 23andMe’s Parkinson’s Research Community.
“That is the future, it really is,” he said. “You’ve got the questionnaires and the genetics. I mean most people with PD can tell you if they or someone in their family smoke, but they can’t tell you their genetics. Nobody can unless they’re signed up with 23andMe. Maybe someday everybody will know that, but we’re not there yet. That would be very transformative.”

A Leader in Parkinson’s Research

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-12215 size-full" title="marsalis-musical-ancestor" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/marsalis-musical-ancestor.png" alt="" width="504" height="280" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/marsalis-musical-ancestor.png 504w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/marsalis-musical-ancestor-300x167.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px" />&#8220;Musical Royalty&#8221;: <a href="http://video.pbs.org/video/2206762934">Watch the video</a> from the PBS series Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., as he speaks with Branford Marsalis about his relative Wellman Braud, a pioneering jazz bassist.
Just as jazz greats Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis wondered, in the first segment of the PBS series Finding Your Roots, whether they had musical ancestors, you too might wonder where you got your penchant for painting or your bright blue eyes.
Many traits, as you might imagine, are complicated – is someone a musician because of innate, and possibly genetic ability, or because of her environment? Are you outgoing or shy because of your genes, or because of how you grew up? In most cases it is likely a combination of both, but that may make it even more interesting to learn that your ancestors shared certain qualities you see in yourself, whether it be a special talent or a streak of stubbornness.
<h6>Family Traits</h6>
For some traits, it can be easy to see a resemblance. Many of us have gazed at old, faded photographs of our parents or grandparents (or more distant relatives, if we’re lucky!) in their younger years and marveled at how we can see ourselves in them. The connection can be something obvious, like wild unruly hair or a distinctive shape of the nose, or it can be as subtle as a smile.
Because of genetic discoveries, you can trace a few such traits through your DNA. Those bright blue eyes could be due to specific factors located in genes responsible for pigment, passed down through generations. Or, if you’re Asian, you might look around the table at family holidays and see the pink-flushed cheeks that accompany a glass of wine – also a trait known to have a genetic basis. Does your mother’s father have male-pattern baldness?
If you’re a man, chances are that you’ll inherit this trait as well.
<h6>Perfect Pitch</h6>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-12209" title="EyeColor" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/EyeColor-300x116.png" alt="" width="300" height="116" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/EyeColor-300x116.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/EyeColor.png 516w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />If they carry one particular genetic variant, two individuals with brown eyes can have children with almost any color eyes.
Research on the specific musical ability called “perfect pitch” suggests that this ability to recognize and produce musical tones is the combination of innate potential and early training. But we don’t yet know which genes are involved.
Indeed, no one has discovered much about the genetics of traits like artistic ability or personality. Why hasn’t anyone figured these out yet? Researchers have certainly searched for genetic contributions to handedness, personality, and <a href="http://35.88.189.111/articles/rhythm-and-musical-traits">musical ability.</a>
But it may be that the genetic models we assumed in those studies were too simple.
<h6>Genetic Models</h6>
In one common type of genetic study, researchers compare two groups of people — those with a trait (say, perfect pitch) and those without. They step through a million or more genetic “markers” or positions throughout the genome, and ask at each step, “Do the people with perfect pitch have more of one version of this DNA marker than do the people without perfect pitch?”
This approach works well if many of the people with perfect pitch have the same genetic variant, and that variant influences the trait strongly. This doesn’t seem to be the case for many traits, however.
<h6>Bigger Studies</h6>
<div style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 10px; margin-left: 15px; width: 200px; float: right;">
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-12163" title="small_23andMe_logo" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/JRBgdIBXKIeVIdETJrxYIw_ttam_logo.jpg" alt="" width="24" height="40" />
23andMe customers can see what traits they and a potential partner might pass on to their children.
Not yet a customer? <a href="https://www.23andme.com/store">Visit our store</a> or learn more about the <a href="https://www.23andme.com">Personal Genome Service ®</a>.
</div>
Two things will help researchers discover the genetic factors behind those traits we see shared in families. First, studies that include a very large number of people with and without a given trait will help us find common genetic factors that have even a small influence on the trait.
By involving tens of thousands of people in studies, researchers have recently discovered genetic variants that influence freckling, sneezing in bright sunlight, and whether or not someone has a sweet tooth.
<h6>More Genetic Data</h6>
Second, a trait such as the love of vinegar and lemons that you share with your cousin may be influenced by genetic variants that are unique to your extended family. In that case full genome sequencing – that is, examination of all 3 billion positions in the genomes of a few family members – would be needed to get to the bottom of the family mystery.
DNA can tell us a lot about our ancestors and where we came from, and it turns out that it can also tell us a bit about why we’re the way we are. Perhaps that trait you share with someone in your family tree comes from a little shared DNA.

Health + Traits — Page 31