3d chromosome with dna visible inside
Genetics, Law

23andMe users’ genetic data is at risk, state AGs warn

The fate of more than 15 million customers’ genetic data remains in limbo after popular DNA testing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy in March.

The data is up for sale, stoking fears about how it might be used and prompting attorneys general from more than a dozen states to warn 23andMe users: Delete your data.

Illustration of a heavy-set man jogging in a city park.
Fitness, Genetics, Weight Loss

Your genetic profile may have a dominant effect on how well you lose weight through exercise. This might explain why two people who do an identical workout will see very different results.

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Aging, Genetics, Social Determinants of Health

Epigenetic and social factors both predict aging and health – but new research suggests one might be stronger

For years, researchers have been using clinical factors normally collected at physicals, like hypertension, cholesterol and weight, as indicators to predict aging. The idea was that these measures could determine whether someone is a fast or slow ager at any point in their life cycle. But more recently, researchers have theorized that there are other biological markers that reflect aging at the molecular and cellular level. This includes modifications to a person’s genetic material itself, or epigenetics.