Simple dementia test to warn men...

[humble3d]

Simple dementia test to warn men...

they are at risk of developing disease discovered by

Swedish university

 

A simple blood test to identify if men have lost

crucial genetic material in later life could finally

close the gap in life expectancy between men and

women, scientists believe.

 

New research shows that when men lose their Y sex

chromosome they are hundreds of times more likely to

develop Alzheimer’s disease.

 

Previous research has shown that smoking hugely

increases the risk of losing the Y chromosome,

suggesting that the missing genetic material may also

be linked to cancer.

 

It is thought that Y chromosome is crucial for the

normal function of the immune system and without it

the body struggles to eliminate cancerous cells, and

amyloid plaques in the brain which cause Alzheimer’s

disease.

 

Now scientists at Uppsala University in Sweden have

found it is possible to test for loss of the

chromosome in a breakthrough which could lead to

widespread screening which could pick up which men are

at risk so that early health interventions could be

made.

 

"The addition of testing in the general population

could give medical practitioners the possibility of

using preventive strategies in men at risk,” said lead

author Prof Lars Forsberg of Uppsala University.

 

If we could predict which men have an increased risk,

we could watch them closely for the development of

disease and also use appropriate preventive

treatments.

 

Prof Lars Forsberg
"For example, in cancer, primary tumours are usually

not deadly; it is the metastatic process that it

normally responsible for deaths.

 

"If we could predict which men have an increased risk,

we could watch them closely for the development of

disease and also use appropriate preventive

treatments.

 

“In short, the widespread use of testing could

radically decrease male mortality rates, and even

perhaps eliminate the difference in life expectancy

between the sexes."

 

In humans each cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes,

22 of which look the same andare called autosomes, and

a 23rd pair which are the sex chromosomes. Women have

two copies of the X chromosome, while males have one X

and one Y chromosome.

 

It has been suggested that women live longer because

they do not have a Y chromosome to lose. The average

women in Britain lives until 79.5 while men can expect

to live to 83.2.

 

The loss of the Y chromosome - known as LOY- is known

to affect up to 20 per cent of men who are aged over

80, and is the most common genetic mutation acquired

during a man's lifetime.

 

The team studied more than 3,200 men with an average

age of 73 and found 17 per cent of them showed LOY in

blood cells, which increased with age.

 

Those with an existing diagnosis of Alzheimer's

disease (AD) had a higher degree of LOY, and LOY was

also a marker for the likelihood of developing the

disease during the follow-up period.

 

Although there are presently no cures for Alzhiemer’s

disease it is known that lifestyle changes such as

eating well, exercising, and brain training can ward

off early symptoms if spotted early.

 

“Our working hypothesis is that the normal function of

the immune system in particular the ability to

recognize and eliminate the abnormal cells, i.e.

cancer cells and cells in the brain forming amyloid

plaques, is compromised in subjects showing high

degree of loss of Y,” added Prof Forsberg.

 

The team is now investigating the functional effects

of LOY, and looking at its role in different groups of

men and in other diseases, to understand better which

types of cancer are associated with LOY, as well as

whether there is a link with early signs of dementia,

for example mild cognitive impairment.

 

The findings were published in the American Journal of

Human Genetics.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/24/simple-
dementia-test-to-warn-men-they-are-at-risk-of-
developing/

 

[vibranium]

Great!

 

But I don't understand this part
 

Quote

 

It has been suggested that women live longer because they do not have a Y chromosome to lose. The average women in Britain lives until 79.5 while men can expect to live to 83.2.

 

 

[VileTouch]