Doctors argue that genetics aren't destiny when it comes to a person's health, and a study appears to support that notion.

A healthy lifestyle can offset the effects of life-shortening genes by more than 60%, researchers found.

People at high genetic risk of a curtailed lifespan could extend their life expectancy by nearly 5.5 years if they've adopted a healthy lifestyle by age 40, ...

Researchers have conclusively identified the genetic cause of a rare, progressive movement disorder.

A rare extra-long version of a gene appears to cause nerve cells to become poisoned by toxic proteins in people with spinocerebellar ataxia 4 (SCA4), researchers report.

SCA4 causes muscle weakness and difficulty coordinating body movement, most notably resulting in a jerky and unste...

New Jersey native Lisa Pisano was staring down the end of her days.

The 54-year-old had heart failure and end-stage kidney disease, but several chronic medical conditions excluded her as a candidate for heart and kidney transplants.

"All I want is the opportunity to have a better ...

Two newly discovered genetic variations can have a powerful effect on a person's risk for obesity, a new report says.

Variants in the gene BSN, also known as Bassoon, can increase risk of obesity as much as sixfold, researchers report April 4 in the journal Nature Genetics.

These variants affect about 1 in every 6,500...

A genetic mutation that boosts cell function could protect people against Alzheimer's disease, even if they carry another gene mutation known to boost dementia risk.

The newly discovered mutation appears to protect people who...

Folks with genetically-driven stress are more likely to suffer heart attacks after nerve-wracking events or times of unrest, a new study shows.

People with above-average genetic scores linked to neuroticism and stress were 34% more likely to experience a heart attack followi...

THURSDAY, March 21, 2024 (HealthDay news) -- For the first time ever, doctors have transplanted a genetically edited pig kidney into a human suffering from advanced kidney failure.

Such pig kidneys, altered to lower the risk of rejection and disease, have been successfully placed into monkeys and brain-dead human donor bodies.

But Rick Slayman, 62, is the first living patient to rec...

It only appears to work until age 74, but a new study has identified a gene variant that protects men from from severe illness and death when COVID lands them in the hospital.

The protective gene appears to help tamp down inflammation, researchers say. It is an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (1L1RN) variant. 

While inflammation is a normal response to infection, if left unch...

Folks worried about becoming flabby in middle age should check out what their parents looked like when they were that age, a new study says.

People are six times more likely to become obese in middle age if both their parents were chubby during that time of their lives, according to research to be present...

Nearly a quarter of Labrador retrievers are more likely to be obese due to a genetic "double-whammy,"a new study finds.

This gene mutation causes Labradors to both feel hungry all the time and also burn fewer calories, British researchers report.

The mutation involves a gene called POMC, which plays a critical role in hunger and energy use among Labs.

About 25% of Labradors an...

Rare gene-driven defects such as Down syndrome have occurred among human beings for many thousands of years, a new analysis of ancient DNA has revealed.

Not only did the birth defects exist, but these infants were often buried with care by their community. That suggests they were included as part of the community despite their differences, researchers said.

Six cases of Down syndrom...

Women who carry certain mutations in their BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes know they are at heightened odds for breast cancer.

Now, Canadian research suggests that for some patients a "risk-reducing" preventive mastectomy may cut the odds of dying from breast cancer later.

"The decision to have a risk-reducing mastectomy is often difficult for a woman to make, and the more evidence we are able...

Accurate genetic tests for 10 common diseases are nearly ready for everyday use in doctor's offices, a new study says.

Gene scans for 10 common illnesses have been honed to the point that they now are being road-tested in clinical research, according to a team at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

The tests evaluate a person's specific genetic risk for conditions like atrial fi...

Everyone knows someone who gets COVID-19 repeatedly, and they probably also have that annoying friend who's never had the illness. What gives?

According to new research, over the long-term it's probably genetics that drives an individual's level of susceptibility to SARS-Cov-2.

"Our results suggest that initially, differences in shared home environment influenced who was infected wi...

Black people are five times as likely as others to develop glaucoma and up to 15 times more likely to be blinded by the degenerative eye disease.

Now, a new study reports that genetics appears to be at least one factor contributing to this increased risk.

Researchers have identified three gene variants that could be fueling Black people's higher glaucoma risk, according to findings ...

DNA locked in the bones and teeth of more than 5,000 humans who lived in Asia and Europe up to 34,000 years ago are providing vital clues to a myriad of present-day medical conditions.

The descendants of these ancient peoples are living now in Europe and throughout the world. But their forebearers' genetic legacy lingers, according to researchers who presented their findings in four studi...

A rare genetic mutation found in 1% of people of European descent appears to cut their odds for Parkinson's disease in half, a new study finds.

A better understanding of how this bit of DNA works might lead to better prevention and treatment of Parkinson's generally, researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) said.

"This study advances our understanding of why people...

Folks with a family history of heart disease might benefit from eating more oily fish like salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines, a new study finds.

Oily fish contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained from the diet.

People's risk of heart disease increased by more than 40% if they had low levels of omega-3 fatty acids plus...

MONDAY, Nov. 13, 2023 (Healthday News) -- Two new gene-editing treatments that target dangerously high levels of cholesterol in people with a genetic predisposition to the condition were found safe and effective in new, groundbreaking research.

While powerful drugs like statins can help manage cholesterol in most people, they can't treat those who have genes that predispose them to heart ...

Everyone knows smoking to be a major cause of cancer.

Now, exactly how tobacco smoke triggers tumor development just got a bit clearer, thanks to new Canadian research.

According to a team at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) in Toronto, smoking appears to prevent the formation of proteins that work to keep runaway cell development in check.

According t...

Scientists have discovered two genes that may trigger Raynaud's phenomenon, a condition that can cause fingers and toes to go cold and numb because of the constriction of tiny blood vessels under the skin.

"We identify two distinct genes that point to two distinct mechanisms,"lead researcher Maik Pi...

Researchers have developed an antibody that can reduce Alzheimer's-like brain damage in lab mice -- inspired by the case of one woman with remarkable resistance to the disease.

The work, by researchers at Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School in Boston, and elsewhere, began a few years ago, with the case of a woman in Colombia who had shown "extreme protection" from Alzheimer's dis...

Going vegetarian is trendy and popular, along with being a healthy choice, but a large portion of those who say they want to stick with a plant-based diet don't.

It might come down to your DNA, suggests new research that has uncovered three genes that seem to be strongly linked to vegetarianism.

"It seems there are more people who would like to be vegetarian than actually are, and ...