The Atlantic

The Disappearing Y Chromosome

It’s surprisingly common for men to start losing entire chromosomes from blood cells as they age.
Source: BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Updated at 11:38 a.m. on Dec. 9, 2019.

In the 1960s, doctors counting the number of chromosomes in human white blood cells noticed a strange phenomenon. Frequently—and more frequently with age—the cells would be missing the Y chromosome. Over time, it became clear this came with consequences. Studies have linked loss of the Y chromosome in blood to cancer, heart disease, and other disorders.

Now a new study—the largest yet of this phenomenon—estimates that 20 percent of 205,011 men in a called the UK Biobank have lost Y

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