Age-related loss of the Y-chromosome — the part of human DNA that is unique to males — raises men's risk of potentially life-threatening heart problems as they get older, new research suggests.
The discovery, detailed in the journal Science, paves the way for a simple test to identify men whose Y-chromosome count puts them at higher risk of conditions such as heart failure, in which an ailing heart struggles to pump blood around the body.
Humans have two sex chromosomes, X and Y.
Males typically have one of each, while women have two X-chromosomes.
Scientists have known for ţile escort decades that some men start to lose Y-chromosomes from their cells as they get older.
Age-related loss of the Y-chromosome — the part of human DNA that is unique to males — raises men's risk of potentially life-threatening heart problems as they get older, new research suggests
For example, a previous study of thousands of men in the UK found the chromosome to be absent in about a fifth of those aged 40 to 70 years old.
This phenomenon, known as Y-loss, has been linked to a range of health conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease, as well as a shorter lifespan.
However, scientists were unable to determine whether loss of the Y-chromosome was directly causing disease or whether, like wrinkles or greying hair, it was simply a sign of ageing.