A recent study has identified 27 new genomic variants associated with conditions such as blood pressure, type II diabetes, cigarette use and chronic kidney disease in diverse populations.The study, which aimed to better understand how genomic variants influence the risk of forming certain diseases in people of different ethnic groups, was published in the journal 'Nature'.The team collected data from 49,839 African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Native Hawaiian, Native American and people who identified as others and were not defined by those ethnic groups.In this study, researchers specifically looked for genomic variants in DNA that were associated with measures of health and disease.The team found that some genomic variants are specifically found in certain groups. Others, such as some related to the function of haemoglobin (a protein in the blood that carries oxygen), are found in multiple groups.The study gives a glimpse of how ethnic diversity can be harnessed to better ...
