{"cache":{"posts_f30bc_4a82f":{"__typename":"RootQueryToPostConnection","nodes":[{"__typename":"Post","id":"cG9zdDoyNjQ5NQ==","databaseId":26495,"featuredImage":{"__typename":"NodeWithFeaturedImageToMediaItemConnectionEdge","node":{"__typename":"MediaItem","id":"cG9zdDoyNjQ5OA==","altText":"","mediaDetails":{"__typename":"MediaDetails","width":1200,"height":600},"sourceUrl_772ce_bf21a":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Fracture-Wide.png","mediaItemUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Fracture-Wide.png","title_b28e9_bf21a":"Bone Fractures Wide"}},"author":null,"date":"2018-08-29T15:35:20","uri":"/articles/vitamin-d-and-bone-fractures","title_b28e9_bf21a":"New Clues on Vitamin D and Bone Fractures","slug":"vitamin-d-and-bone-fractures","categories_3cd3e_bf21a":{"__typename":"PostToCategoryConnection","edges":[{"__typename":"PostToCategoryConnectionEdge","node":{"__typename":"Category","id":"dGVybToxMzQ0","name":"Research","slug":"23andme-research","uri":"/category/23andme-research","seo":{"__typename":"TaxonomySEO","title":"Research Archives - 23andMe Blog","opengraphTitle":"Research Archives","metaDesc":"23andMe research unique research model combines genetic and phenotypic information in what is among the largest databases of its kind.","opengraphDescription":"23andMe research unique research model combines genetic and phenotypic information in what is among the largest databases of its kind.","fullHead":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n"}}}]},"imageOptions":{"__typename":"Post_Imageoptions","featuredImageSquare":{"__typename":"MediaItem","id":"cG9zdDoyNjQ5Nw==","mediaDetails":{"__typename":"MediaDetails","sizes_cad4b_bf21a":[{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"thumbnail","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-150x150.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"medium","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-300x300.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"medium_large","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-768x768.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"large","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-1024x1024.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"larger","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-880x880.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"largest","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-1180x1180.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"square_sm","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-271x271.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"square_md","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-372x372.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"square_lg","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-574x574.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"square_xl","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-980x980.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"wide_sm","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-271x149.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"wide_md","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-372x204.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"wide_lg","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-574x315.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"wide_xl","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-980x539.jpg"}],"height":1732,"width":1732},"mediaItemUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures.jpg","sourceUrl_772ce_bf21a":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures.jpg"},"singleTemplateFeaturedImage":"default"},"content_b28e9_bf21a":"

For years, many people who are at higher risk for bone fractures — a complex and costly healthcare problem that affects more than nine million people worldwide annually — have heard a familiar refrain: to consume more calcium and vitamin D.

Now, using anonymized 23andMe data from consenting customers, a team of international researchers has identified 15 genetic variants related to increased fracture risk. Their study also went a step further, using genomic information on other risk factors to examine their causal role in developing fractures. They found that only bone mineral density and muscle strength are correlated with susceptibility to bone fractures.

$\"\"$

Bone Mineral Density

Contrary to the long-considered “gold standard” for fracture prevention, the researchers determined that vitamin D and calcium do not directly decrease fracture risk. Instead, the team’s results show that the most valuable interventions should focus on increasing bone mineral density and muscle strength.

“One of the most important insights from our work for patients at risk of osteoporosis is obtaining robust evidence from the genetic studies that ‘widespread’ vitamin D and calcium supplementation is unlikely to be effective for the prevention of fracture,” said Fernando Rivadeneira, Genetic Epidemiologist from Erasmus MC and the lead author of the study.

However, researchers caution that there are limitations to their finding. For instance, some groups may be underrepresented this study, as the majority of individuals in the study cohort were of European ancestry.

The study was co-led by researchers from Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and McGill University in Montreal, Canada. It analyzed de-identified data from more than 500,000 individuals, including 23andMe customers who consented to participate, making it the first and largest genome-wide association study for fracture risk. The work builds on previous research by scientists at McGill.

Diet and Exercise

Despite the findings, the scientists said individuals should not use this study to change their medical regimes.

“Patients using osteoporosis medication should not discontinue their supplements before consulting with their treating physicians,” said Rivadeneira. “Procuring a healthy diet, remaining physically active, and getting 15 minutes of sun exposure every day are the main pillars of sustainable bone health.”

Beyond the genetic associations identified, the study also marks an important milestone for investigating genetic relationships with known interventions for different conditions. The scientists hope to use this study as a model for research into other health risks.

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Consider the cow, and this humble herbivore’s contribution to the human story. $\"dairy$ \n

\nWe’re not just talking burgers and ice cream, archeological evidence suggests that cows were likely first domesticated from aurochs (extinct wild oxen) as long as 11,000 years ago when farmers used their milk to make cheese and yogurt.

Nutrient-rich with plenty of vitamin D for the sun-starved in Northern Europe, milk was a kind of superfood of the Bronze Age.

But new research suggests that it took a long time before Europeans could actually benefit from this potent potable.

Looking at DNA samples from the remains for more than 100 individuals who lived in Eurasia from 3,000 to 5,000 years ago, researchers in Norway found that it took a surprisingly long time before Europeans could tolerate milk.

The study looked at much more than whether those early Europeans could tolerate dairy, and focused more broadly on a wide variety of physical and physiological traits including hair thickness, height and skin color.

But the DNA samples indicate that those early Europeans were mostly lactose intolerant, suggesting that even though they had domesticated cows at the time they were unable to digest raw milk as adults. The exception appears to be among the Yamnaya, a group of people who migrated into Northern Europe from an area near the Altai Mountains in what is now central Russia. Researchers speculate that natural selection favored this trait, giving those with it a rich source of nutrition that could sustained them during times of famine when harvests failed.
\n
\n $\"Glass$ \n

\nIntolerant, even today
\n

\nMost people are actually lactose intolerant as adults. Only about 35 percent of people worldwide can digest lactose beyond the age of about seven or eight.

The numbers tell a deeper story when demographically divided. While the majority of people of European ancestry can tolerate milk into adulthood, only a small minority of people of Asian ancestry can. Among 23andMe customers who consented to research only about 16 percent of those of European ancestry reported that they were lactose intolerant compared to about 85 percent of people of Asian ancestry.\n

\nSo what gives?
\n

\nThere are a number of theories about why there are differences among people of different ancestry, and a recent study of ancient Northern European DNA suggests the ability to digest dairy is a relatively new phenomena.

Drinking milk is a problem for most adults. It contains high amounts of a sugar named lactose. As children, we all produce lactase, an enzyme that allows us to break up lactose in our mother’s milk. As we grow older lactase levels go down, making it harder for adults to breakdown the lactose sugars and causing gastrointestinal “discomfort.”

In populations with domesticated cattle, however, there may have been an evolutionary incentive to being able to drink milk as adults and several populations – including populations in Northern Europe – developed genetic variants that enabled adults to continue to breakdown lactose into adulthood. This genetic variant offered a likely evolutionary advantage because milk is nutrient rich, plentiful, and cleaner than many sources of water. In times of famine it offered an alternative source of food for those who could tolerate it.\n

\nIn the book 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution, anthropologists Gregory Cochran and Henry Harpending called humans with this variant “mampires,” because it allowed people to feed on the milk of other animals. It’s a clever term, but maybe with a little darker connotations than necessary. As the anthropologist John Hawkes noted in his blog, milk from domesticated animals is a much more efficient use of farm animals than raising them for meat. In places in Europe, Arabia and in parts of Africa where cold or arid climates made consistent yields from farming grain difficult, milk was a good alternative source of nutrition.

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23andMe Blog","opengraphTitle":"Research Archives","metaDesc":"23andMe research unique research model combines genetic and phenotypic information in what is among the largest databases of its kind.","opengraphDescription":"23andMe research unique research model combines genetic and phenotypic information in what is among the largest databases of its kind.","fullHead":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n"}}}]},"imageOptions":{"__typename":"Post_Imageoptions","featuredImageSquare":{"__typename":"MediaItem","id":"cG9zdDoyNjI1Ng==","mediaItemUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies.jpg","sourceUrl_772ce_bf21a":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies.jpg","title_b28e9_bf21a":"Dandelion clock in morning sun","mediaDetails":{"__typename":"MediaDetails","height":836,"width":1254,"sizes_cad4b_bf21a":[{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"thumbnail","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies-150x150.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"medium","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies-300x200.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"medium_large","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies-768x512.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"large","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies-1024x683.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"larger","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies-880x587.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"largest","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies-1180x787.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"square_sm","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies-271x271.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"square_md","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies-372x372.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"square_lg","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies-574x574.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"square_xl","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies-980x836.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"wide_sm","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies-271x149.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"wide_md","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies-372x204.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"wide_lg","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies-574x315.jpg"},{"__typename":"MediaSize","name":"wide_xl","sourceUrl":"https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Dandelion-Allergies-980x539.jpg"}]},"altText":""},"singleTemplateFeaturedImage":"none"},"content_b28e9_bf21a":"

$\"allergy$

For the live-updated, fully-labelled, interactive version of this infographic, click here.

By Alexandra Carmichael, Co-Founder of CureTogether

If you have allergies, you’ve probably tried many approaches to easing the sneezing, swelling, and suffering. You may have even compared your experience to other people with allergies, and tried what your friends recommend to ease the symptoms. But what if you could talk to 9,375 allergy sufferers at the same time and get a summary of all of their advice?

That’s what we’ve done in the chart above. CureTogether – a free resource owned by 23andMe that allows people to share information about their health and treatments – surveyed more than 9,000 people who self-identify as having Allergies and asked them to rate the effectiveness of 75 different treatments. We gathered all the data and put it together for you here. $\"allergy\"$

People who participated in the survey reported that interventions such as avoiding allergens and nasal irrigation helped them feel better, as well as drugs like Prednisone, EpiPen, and antihistamines. Treatment ideas that didn’t seem to help as much included yogurt, calcium, Vitamin D, and local honey.

These are all treatments suggested and reported by patients, so some redundancy in the terms used is to be expected. In addition, the term “treatment” in this study refers to anything patients describe using to help them feel better, whether it is an officially prescribed medical treatment or not.

A startling 40-50 percent of school-age children are now experiencing sensitivities to allergens, and the prevalence of allergic disease worldwide has been increasing for the past 50 years. This is according to research from the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology.

Most Effective Rated Treatments for Allergies
\n1. Prednisone
\n2. Avoid allergens
\n3. EpiPen
\n4. Cetrizine
\n5. Antihistamine
\n6. Gluten-free diet
\n7. Xyzal
\n8. Dairy-free diet
\n9. Fluticasone nasal spray
\n10. Zyrtec

Where did this data come from? This is the result of a four-year CureTogether study on Allergies, in which 9,375 people shared information about their symptoms and what treatments worked best for them. We’d like to thank those who participated. And just as they shared their experience with treatments, we’re freely and openly sharing the results of the Allergies study.

This is part of a regular series of CureTogether research findings. CureTogether’s research findings are different than those made by 23andMe, which look at genetic associations with illness, traits and drug response. But as we continue our work with the CureTogether community, 23andMe hopes to incorporate more of this kind of self-reported information into our own research. CureTogether present its findings just as they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.

Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in Allergies.

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$\"\"$

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common inflammatory disease that leads to the destruction of the insulating coating that surrounds nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Without this insulation, the electrical impulses the nerves are supposed to carry between the brain and rest of the body get confused or lost along the way, leading to a loss of control of a variety of bodily functions.

Genetic factors, especially variants in immune system genes, are known to play a part in MS. But environment is important too. Most striking is the influence of geography. Increasing distance from the equator is associated with higher prevalence of MS. Sunlight, and specifically its role in generating active vitamin D in the body, has been proposed to be the reason for this effect. The exact role of vitamin D in the disease, however, has not been shown.

New research, published online today in the journal PLoS Genetics, shows a direct connection between vitamin D and the strongest genetic risk factor for MS found so far. These findings suggest that simply taking a supplement during pregnancy and childhood could prevent this disabling disease from developing.

In laboratory experiments, Sreeram Ramagopalan and colleagues from the University of Oxford and the University of British Columbia showed that a variant of the HLA-DRB1 gene called HLA-DRB1*1501 is turned on by vitamin D. Other versions of the HLA-DRB1 gene were not responsive to the vitamin. The researchers did not address what might be responsible for turning these versions on.

In people with European ancestry, each copy of the HLA-DRB1*1501 variant increases the odds of developing MS by about two times compared to someone with no copies. About 40% of this population has at least one copy.

(23andMe customers can check their data for HLA-DRB1*1501 in the Multiple Sclerosis research report.)

The researchers think that in people with the HLA-DRB1*1501 variant, vitamin D deficiency prevents the gene from being turned on during development in utero and in the early years of childhood, when it and other genes like it are involved in training the immune system to distinguish between the body’s own tissues and foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses. Immune cells that have failed this basic training but nonetheless been released into the circulation are thought to be behind the nerve cell destruction seen in MS.

According to the authors, the idea that it’s not just vitamin D, but when you get it, is supported by data on MS among people who have migrated from sunny low-risk regions such as the Caribbean to regions with low sunlight such as the U.K., where the risk for the disease is much higher.

“Immigrants who migrate before adolescence acquire the risk of their new country, while those who migrate after retain the risk of their home country,” the authors write.

“This study provides more direct support for the already strong epidemiological evidence implicating sunlight and vitamin D in the determination of MS risk. Given that a high frequency of vitamin D insufficiency in the general population has been observed, our data support the case for supplementation during critical time periods to reduce the prevalence of this devastating disease,” the authors conclude.

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Bone Mineral Density

Diet and Exercise

\nIntolerant, even today\n

\nSo what gives?\n

\nIntolerant, even today
\n

\nSo what gives?
\n

vitamin D

New Clues on Vitamin D and Bone Fractures

23andMoo

What Patients Say Works For Allergies

Taking Vitamin D Supplements In Childhood May Prevent Multiple Sclerosis Later

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