Editor’s note: This post has been altered to reflect 23andMe’s new product offering. By Amick B. Like other autoimmune diseases, celiac disease has a strong genetic component, but new research...

As a group, Ashkenazi Jews have distinct genetic characteristics that carry important implications for health. In addition to having higher rates of certain rare genetic disorders, people with Ashkenazi ancestry are also at increased risk for some complex conditions like Crohn's disease. A recent study highlights genetic factors associated with Crohn's disease in Ashkenazi Jewish populations.

There are many wonderful things about being a woman, but our increased risk of autoimmune disease is not one of them. Why these "civil wars" within the body affect women much more frequently than men is a medical mystery that researchers are still trying to understand.

What do media mogul Oprah Winfrey, actress Mary-Louise Parker, and Olympic runner Carl Lewis have in common? All three have been diagnosed with a condition that recently gained "celebrity" status. Not much is known about the genetics of this condition, but 23andMe's latest publication highlights several novel genetic factors discovered through our web-based, participatory research.

We thought 2010 would be hard to top but we’re happy to say that 2011 has been even better. Here's our list of some of the most intriguing developments from 2011.

Pinworms–small worms that infect the intestines–are the most common worm infection in the United States. Although all people are over 99.9% genetically identical, the small amount of diversity that does...

By Bethann Hromatka Autoimmune diseases are caused by an overactive immune system. In these diseases, white blood cells, which normally help your body fight infections, ramp up and attack your...

Scientists know that there isn’t one cause for multiple sclerosis (MS), but understanding this complex autoimmune disease has vexed medical researchers for years. In the largest MS study to date,...

Alopecia areata is a form of hair loss many people are unfamiliar with, although the condition affects more than five million people in the United States.   Unlike male (or,...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) afflicts the central nervous system, causing unpredictable and varying symptoms that differ from person to person. About one in 700 people in the United States is affected...