Errors in the human gene are considered a part of life. As we age and the number of DNA increases, minor problems begin to appear in our genes, such as a misplaced letter or repeating some mistakes. These errors accumulate over time and can form a mosaic of cells with unique codes in our body. Some cells may even lose all their chromosomes.
Scientists knew that many men lost their Y chromosomes as they got older, and they were investigating why. The extent of the loss of the Y chromosome was unknown, and it was even considered a sign of aging, such as graying of hair with age, which had no clinical significance. However, the latest research study revealed that the loss of the Y chromosome is extremely important.
Y chromosome loss causes serious heart disease
Each cell has a set of chromosomes called DNA in pairs, an X and a Y chromosome, XX in females and XY in males. As a result of the research, it was revealed that mLOY, which is called loss of Y chromosome in the cell, occurs in 40% of men aged 70 and over. Even if the Y chromosome has long been considered a shrinking genetic space filled with junk DNA fragments, loss of the Y chromosome can cause serious health problems.
A team of researchers announced that they had discovered that men over 60, in particular, die faster than women and age faster biologically. This new research also uncovered certain clues as to why men die earlier than women. Experiments on mice used a specialized gene editing tool, CRISPR, to better understand the effects of Y chromosome loss in the blood. Loss of the Y chromosome was found to cause a condition known as cardiac fibrosis, which hardens heart tissues in mice injected with the specific gene and has been linked to heart failure. As a result of this situation, it was shared by the research team that early deaths were seen in mice with Y chromosome loss.
Why Y chromosome loss is so deadly may have been found
The researchers also analyzed data compiled from the UK Biobank study, which was nearly 10 years of research, to compare the findings with human data. As a result of investigations and experiments, the effects of Y chromosome loss in men were thoroughly investigated. As a result, they found that Y chromosome loss had a direct impact on heart disease and heart failure, as well as being more likely to die younger and suffer from age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
The research team also discovered that men with mLOY in their blood at the start of the study had an increased risk of dying from heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases during the mean 11-year follow-up period. In other words, as a result of this research, it is considered as concrete evidence that the loss of the Y chromosome directly causes harmful effects on male health.
There’s no cure for the condition yet, but researchers say quitting smoking may be a smart move. Because research also shows that men who smoke are three times more likely to show a loss of Y chromosomes in their blood cells than non-smokers.
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