2024-01-11 20:05:54
Researchers Discover Risk Factors for Dupuytren’s Disease, Also Known as Viking Disease
Stockholm – Dupuytren’s disease, also known as Viking disease, has long puzzled researchers due to its prevalence in certain populations. Now, a study published in the scientific journal Molecular Biology and Evolution has shed light on the genetic risk factors for the disease, which causes fingers to become permanently bent and unable to be stretched.
The study found that up to 30 percent of people over the age of 60, particularly men from Northern Europe, suffer from Dupuytren’s disease. However, people of African descent are rarely affected by the disease, leading researchers to investigate the genetic basis for this disparity.
It has been previously known that genetic characteristics account for up to 80 percent of risk factors for Dupuytren’s disease. In a study published in 2023, researchers discovered that Neanderthal genes increase the risk of developing the disease. They identified a total of 61 genetic risk factors, three of which originated in Neanderthals, making them the second and third most important risk factors.
The researchers arrived at their findings by examining 7,871 cases of the disease in comparison with a control group of almost 646,000 healthy people. Hugo Zeberg of the Carolinian Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, stated, “This is a case in which the encounter with Neanderthals had an impact on those suffering from the disease, although we should not overstate the connection between Neanderthals and Vikings.”
These findings not only shed light on the genetic basis of Dupuytren’s disease but also demonstrate the influence of genetic building blocks that have been in the genetic makeup of certain population groups for centuries. This has important implications for understanding the disease and potentially developing targeted treatments.
The study’s implications for the wider understanding of genetic influences on disease progression and severity could have broader implications for understanding and treating other chronic conditions.]
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