Heart disease risk rises in men as they lose Y chromosome with age, study finds

Studies examining Y chromosome loss have ‘great promise’ for development of personalised medicines, scientists say

Loss of the Y chromosome in the blood cells of men as they age can cause impaired heart function and death from cardiovascular diseases, according to a new study that may lead to novel therapies to treat heart ailments.

Previous research has shown that men, on average, die several years younger than women, with the gradual loss of Y chromosome in their immune system’s white blood cells linked to an increased risk of developing diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.

The new research, published in the journal Science, found that those with such Y chromosome loss, called mLOY (mosaic Loss Of Y) in the white blood cells also have an increased risk of dying from heart diseases, the most common cause of death in humans.