The Y chromosome, involved in sex determination, mysteriously disappears from some men’s immune cells as they get older – and that could be fatal
Health
14 July 2022
The Y chromosome (right) is smaller than the X (left) BIOPHOTO ASSOCIATES / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
The immune cells of many older men lose their Y chromosomes, and this may contribute to men having a higher rate of heart disease than women.
Health risks from Y chromosome loss have long been suspected, but evidence from animals and people now adds more support to the idea – and may suggest a treatment for the damage caused to the heart.
DNA is packaged into chromosomes, with the cells of most men and transgender women carrying one X and one Y, …