“Viking disease”, deforming hand disorder, linked to Neanderthals

Poor Neanderthals just couldn’t take a break.

Our ancient ancestors, who probably disappeared by inbreedingtransmitted genes still present in humans today.

Research now reveals that these Neanderthal genes also gave some people an increased risk of ‘Viking disease’, also known as Dupuytren’s disease.

The condition causes the fingers of one or both hands to freeze in a permanently bent position.

It’s called “Viking disease” because it most often occurs in men of Scandinavian or northern European descent.

“Given that Dupuytren’s disease is rarely seen in people of African descent, we wondered if Neanderthal genetic variants could partly explain why people outside of Africa are affected,” said Hugo Zeberg, assistant professor at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. said in a press release.

Researchers looked at genetic data from US, Finnish and UK biobanks to compare nearly 8,000 people with Dupuytren’s disease with more than 645,000 others.

Sixty-one genetic risk factors for Viking disease have been discovered, including three inherited from Neanderthals, including the second and third most important risk factors.

The study authors concluded that their finding is further evidence that our admixture with Neanderthals – who share up to 98.5% of our DNA — has important health consequences.

“This is a case where encountering Neanderthals has affected those who suffer from disease, although the connection between Neanderthals and Vikings should not be overstated,” Dr Zeberg said.

Neanderthals lived in Europe and western Asia until they were replaced by modern humans around 40,000 years ago. But before Neanderthals died out, they mixed – and mated – with modern humans.

Some studies have suggested that Neanderthals may have passed on a genetic predisposition to alcoholism, depression, autism and more severe COVID-19 infection.

About 30% of men over 60 in northern Europe have Dupuytren’s disease. It’s usually not painful, but it can make it difficult for someone to engage in day-to-day activities, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The condition can be treated with surgery, steroid injections, or “needling,” which breaks up the tissue that causes the fingers to contract.