Cold Symptoms May Depend on Length of Chromosome Cap
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DNA bits linked to age-related illnesses may also determine cold symptoms, according to a study that suggests the telomeres may affect human health at all stages of life.
Telomeres cap the ends of chromosomes and protect them from degeneration, and length of the structures correlates with aging and mortality in older adults. In a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, scientists found that people with the shortest telomeres caught more colds and were less likely to fight off the virus than those with the longest telomeres.