Scientists at the University of Virginia have discovered that the loss of the male Y chromosome, which happens in many men as they age, can cause scarring in the heart muscle and lead to heart failure.
This groundbreaking research offers new insights into why men tend to live shorter lives than women and points to potential treatments to counteract the damage caused by chromosome loss.
On average, men in the United States live about five years less than women. Women have two X chromosomes, while men have one X and one Y chromosome.
As men age, they often begin to lose the Y chromosome in some of their cells—a phenomenon affecting about 40% of men by age 70. The loss is more common in smokers.
While scientists have previously linked Y chromosome loss to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and earlier death, this new study is the first to provide direct evidence that it causes harm to men’s health.
The research, led by Kenneth Walsh, used advanced CRISPR gene-editing technology to create a mouse model that mimicked the effects of Y chromosome loss in human blood cells.
The team found that mice with Y chromosome loss experienced faster aging, more heart scarring (a condition called fibrosis), and earlier death.
These harmful effects weren’t just due to inflammation; instead, a complex immune response triggered tissue scarring throughout the body.
This process of fibrosis—the thickening or scarring of tissue—was also observed in men with Y chromosome loss. The more cells that lost the Y chromosome, the greater the risk of heart disease, heart failure, and death.
These findings suggest that the Y chromosome plays a critical role in keeping the heart and other organs healthy as men age.
The good news is that there may be ways to address these effects. The researchers identified a drug called pirfenidone, already approved by the FDA for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (a type of lung scarring), as a potential therapy.
Pirfenidone is also being tested for treating heart failure and chronic kidney disease, both of which involve tissue scarring. This drug could help counteract the damage caused by Y chromosome loss, potentially improving the quality and length of life for many men.
The study also sheds light on the broader impact of Y chromosome loss, which may contribute to health problems beyond the heart, affecting other organs and accelerating the development of age-related diseases.
Walsh estimates that this phenomenon could explain nearly four of the five-year average difference in lifespan between men and women.
This research highlights the importance of understanding how genetic changes during aging impact health and opens the door to new treatments that could help men live longer, healthier lives.
It also underscores the need for further study on how lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence Y chromosome loss and related health risks.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease and cancer, and results showing strawberries could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
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