Baldness Gene Discovered — 1 In 7 Men "At Risk"

FiReaNGeL writes "Researchers conducted a genome-wide association study of 1,125 Caucasian men who had been assessed for male pattern baldness. They found two previously unknown genetic variants on chromosome 20 that substantially increased the risk of male pattern baldness. They then confirmed these findings in an additional 1,650 Caucasian men. 'If you have both the risk variants we discovered on chromosome 20 and the unrelated known variant on the X chromosome, your risk of becoming bald increases sevenfold. What's startling is that one in seven men have both of those risk variants.'" So maybe gene therapy will finally have a real purpose.

Comments

Re:cool

[Anonymous Coward]

Mom?

Badness?

[the_arrow]

I hope I'm not the only one misreading the title as "Badness gene found".

Re:Why on earth,,,

[Gerafix]

Says the haired guy. Down with haired people! Rise my brethren and let our bald heads shine under the sun...

Women are listening

[shaitand]

First they find the monogomy gene and then they find the baldness gene. How much longer before women insist on genetic pre-screening before they put out?

as my barber always said

[laoudji]

God only made so many beautiful heads; the others he covered with hair.

Re:Is baldness a disease?

[TubeSteak]

As someone with depression, i'll tell you that minor physical imperfections do not cause or contribute to this problem.

Depression is an emotional reaction to sweeping, systemic problems in our society.

Have you also been diagnosed with egotism?

You've literally written off the entire spectrum of depressions in favor of your own limited definition.

Does losing a spouse/pet/job qualify as "an emotional reaction to sweeping, systemic problems in our society"? Because people get clinically depressed for those and millions of other much more trivial reasons. I could list another 50 examples, but I'm not sure it would change your self-centered world view.