We have always known for a fact that women live longer than men. Well, there could be a reason for this: The disappearance may link to the Y chromosome in men’s bodies.
Scientists have known about the loss of the Y chromosome for decades now, but they believed it was normal and was just linked to aging. However, studies conducted by researchers have provided data that implies the loss of the Y chromosome can affect men’s health on a larger scale.
To study this idea, researchers genetically made male mice lose their Y chromosome. They discovered that as the mice aged, their hearts became full of scar tissue, which eventually led to heart failure.
“The authors really nailed it here,” stated Dr. Ross Levine, a physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, “It’s super important work.”
Lars Forsberg of Uppsala University was the one who started the research. “I saw that men with loss of Y in a large proportion of their blood cells survived only half as long, 5.5 years versus 11.1 years. You can imagine my surprise,” Forsberg said.
Later, Forsberg heard from Kenneth Walsh, who works at the University of Virginia. Walsh became interested in the loss of Y because of his work with something called CHIP, which is an increase of blood cells with cancer mutations which also occurs during aging. It causes people to have a higher chance of heart cancer and disease.
Two out of five males don’t have Y chromosomes in their cells when they become 70, and there is no way to stop this other than to stop smoking, which many adults don’t do.
Scientists have known about the loss of the Y chromosome for decades now, but they believed it was normal and was just linked to aging. However, studies conducted by researchers have provided data that implies the loss of the Y chromosome can affect men’s health on a larger scale.
To study this idea, researchers genetically made male mice lose their Y chromosome. They discovered that as the mice aged, their hearts became full of scar tissue, which eventually led to heart failure.
“The authors really nailed it here,” stated Dr. Ross Levine, a physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, “It’s super important work.”
Lars Forsberg of Uppsala University was the one who started the research. “I saw that men with loss of Y in a large proportion of their blood cells survived only half as long, 5.5 years versus 11.1 years. You can imagine my surprise,” Forsberg said.
Later, Forsberg heard from Kenneth Walsh, who works at the University of Virginia. Walsh became interested in the loss of Y because of his work with something called CHIP, which is an increase of blood cells with cancer mutations which also occurs during aging. It causes people to have a higher chance of heart cancer and disease.
Two out of five males don’t have Y chromosomes in their cells when they become 70, and there is no way to stop this other than to stop smoking, which many adults don’t do.
