Blood Counts Are Clues To Human Disease

New research examines that most important and diverse of tissues -- blood -- for genetic markers important in health. Scientists have found 15 new genetic variants associated with diseases including anemia, infection and blood cancers. Among these, they show that one variant associated with heart disease arose and spread in European peoples only 3,400 years ago. Further characterization of the regions uncovered could improve our understanding of how blood cell development is linked with human diseases.

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