It’s no secret that obesity rates are rising — quickly.  Between 2000 and 2005 the prevalence of obesity rose by 24%.  Extreme obesity increased by more than 50%.  If current trends continue, more than half of all Americans will be clinically obese by the year 2030.
Rapid changes in the prevalence of a disorder suggest that [...]

Tags: copy number variant, environment, epigenetics, Nature, Nature Genetics, nurture, obesity, sequencing, SNP

Even as the genetic studies on schizophrenia released this week illustrate our progress toward the ultimate goal of personalized medicine, they also bring to mind the challenges that still lie ahead.
All three studies focus on identifying the genetic bases of schizophrenia, a mental disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusions and the decreased ability to plan and [...]

Tags: copy number variant, International Schizophrenic Consortium, schizophrenia, SNP