"You might think that your genes are relatively stable, and that your chromosomes will remain roughly the same over the course of your life. For many people, this is true, but it is not universal. As Gina Kolata highlighted in The New York Times back in 2022, "many men lose their Y chromosomes as they age." Now, scientists are starting to understand the potential serious health implications of that loss."
"The Times article focused on the results of a study published in the journal Science in July 2022, which connected the shrinking of the Y chromosomes of mice with an uptick in heart disease. Recently, even more evidence has come to light on how Y chromosome depletion can impact one's health. That is the subject of a recent article at The Conversation by La Trobe University genetics professor Jenny Graves."
"In her article, Graves covers a lot of ground above and beyond the risks of losing the Y chromosome. She discusses the factors that can contribute to this decrease (smoking can play a part) as well as the ways that the loss can become more widespread with age. If you have a Y chromosome, it's yet another thing to be mindful of as you get older."
Many men lose their Y chromosomes as they age. Studies in mice linked shrinking Y chromosomes to increased heart disease. Additional research associates Y chromosome loss with Alzheimer's disease, kidney disease, and death from COVID-19. Smoking can contribute to Y chromosome depletion. The prevalence of Y chromosome loss grows with age and may become widespread among older men. Uncertainty remains about causality and whether chromosomal loss directly causes these outcomes or shares a common underlying cause. Awareness of Y chromosome loss presents another potential health consideration for men as they get older.
Read at InsideHook
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