Loss of Y Chromosome Can Explain Shorter Life Expectancy and Higher Cancer Risk for Men

Men have a shorter average life span than women and often have a higher rate of mortality from cancer but the reason for this is largely unknown. Now researchers from Uppsala University analyzed the DNA in blood samples from a group of more than 1,600 elderly men and found that the most common genetic alteration was a loss of the Y chromosome in the white blood cells. After tracking these men for years, it was seen that the men that had lost the Y chromosome in larger proportion of their blood cells had a shorter life then the other men. For years people have thought that the Y chromosome was insignificant but these researchers also concluded that the Y chromosome has a role in tumor suppression and that might explain why men get cancer more often than women.
          Continue research on the Y chromosome could discover more about it. If it is now found to be related  to cancer, maybe we can find out how and where on the chromosome this gene might be. We need to continue to search for answers instead of just being content with past theories. Until a week ago, everyone thought that the Y chromosome was useless but it just took a couple of researchers to look at it again with our updated technology.