Mar
31
2009
By 23andMe Co-founders Linda Avey and Anne Wojcicki
Every year, 130 million babies are born around the world. Yet little is known about why some women sail through their pregnancies, while others encounter issues such as infertility, miscarriage, pre-term labor, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. Giving birth, whether in medically-advanced countries or in the developing world, [...]
Tags: Anne Wojcicki, Linda Avey, pregnancy, pregnancy community
Mar
30
2009
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]
Tags: estrogen, MDM2, melanoma, skin cancer, women
Mar
27
2009
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), sometimes called “economy class syndrome” is the formation of a blood clot in a vein deep within the body, usually in the legs. Not only can DVT be painful, but it can also lead to a potentially fatal condition called pulmonary embolism if the clot breaks free and travels through the [...]
Tags: blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, Factor V Leiden, family history, Prothrombin
Mar
24
2009
No matter what you call it – “flush”, “blush” or “glow” – the red face, nausea and rapid heart beat that many people with Asian ancestry experience when they drink alcohol is more than just a quirk of nature. Research shows it’s a significant risk factor for esophageal cancer, one of the deadliest malignancies in [...]
Tags: acetaldehyde, alcohol, ALDH2, Asian, esophageal cancer, flush, PLoS Medicine
Mar
23
2009
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]
Tags: heart, Long QT syndrome, Nature Genetics, QT interval, sudden cardiac death
Mar
20
2009
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]
Tags: COPD, lung cancer, nicotine, peripheral artery disease, smoking
Mar
19
2009
PET scans showing dopamine activity in a normal brain and a Parkinson’s patient’s before and after treatment with a therapeutic implant.
More than a million Americans have Parkinson’s disease, and another 50,000 are diagnosed each year. Scientists know that many of the characteristic symptoms of Parkinson’s — tremors, rigid muscles and movement problems — can [...]
Tags: communities, DJ1, G2019S, G2385R, LRRK2, mutation, PARK1, PARK2, PARK4, PARK6, PARK7, Parkinson's Disease, PINK1
Mar
17
2009
Before 500 years ago people rarely went far to find a mate, choosing a husband or wife from the locally available pool of men and women. But with the dawn of European colonialism people from different parts of the world were suddenly living side by side, and had a whole new set of people to [...]
Tags: autozygosity, exogamy, genetics, globalization
Mar
16
2009
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]
Tags: blood clots, blood disorder, essential thrombocythemia, JAK2, leukemia, myeloproliferative neoplasm, polycythemia vera, primary myelofibrosis
Mar
13
2009
BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) mutations account for most (though not all) cases of inherited breast cancer in women. These mutations are also associated with an increased risk for ovarian cancer. In men, BRCA1/2 mutations increase the risk for breast cancer and may also increase prostate cancer risk. Research has indicated there may also be an [...]
Tags: BRCA, breast cancer, melanoma, mortality, pancreatic cancer, PLoS, prostate cancer