Discovery of "danger genes" in the body!

Researchers have discovered a range of genes that may be related to our desire to take risks, they say.

Although there is no specific "risk gene", researchers believe that the discovery of 124 genotypes can make people more vulnerable to risky behaviors.

The study, published in the journal Nature Genetics, shows evidence of common genetic effects on a full scale of risk tolerance and many of the behaviors involved.

Abraham Palmer of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of California at San Diego, co-author of the study, said the willingness to take risks was critical to success in the modern world.

"But we also know that not giving enough importance to the consequences of risky decisions opens the door to smoking, alcoholism and other forms of addiction," he said. -he declares.

Although there is no alternative to risk tolerance or the tendency to make dangerous decisions, such as drinking, smoking and speed, non-genetic factors are more important for risk tolerance than genetic factors, say the researchers.

The research team wants to understand the basic molecular and cellular processes that make up human behavior and learn how to prevent and treat drug abuse.

Read more

"For example, patients with anxiety disorders may be aware of an increased risk in some cases and therefore be unnecessarily avoided," said co-author, Murray Stein, of the Faculty of Medicine's Department of Medicine. University of San Francisco. Understanding the genetic basis of risk tolerance is essential to understanding these disorders and developing better treatments. "

The researchers measured participants' overall risk tolerance based on self-reports.

They found that genetic variables associated with general risk tolerance also tended to be correlated with more dangerous behaviors, such as speed and cannabis use, higher risk investments, and sexual behaviors.

The results identified areas of the brain involving risky behavior.

Specific regions of the brain, particularly the frontal lobe, basal ganglia and intermediate brain waves, play an important role. The results are also consistent with the expectation that "thousands, if not millions, of genetic variants affect risk tolerance".

Source: Daily Mail