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BOB HIRSHON (host):
The roots of baldness. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
Those of us who have male pattern baldness probably have our moms to blame: there is a gene on the X chromosome we get from our moms that’s strongly linked to the condition. But many guys that have the gene variant don’t become bald at all. Now scientists report in the journal Nature Genetics that they’ve found two other genes on a different chromosome that make men seven times more likely to become bald than having the X chromosome gene alone does. They say studying all three genes could lead to new treatments for the follicle challenged.
In other medical news, Japanese scientists report that proteins found in chicken legs, and dissolved in chicken soup, help reduce blood pressure. Unfortunately, most chicken soup has too much salt to be on the menu for people with hypertension. But the research could lead to new functional foods that would let people eat their way to better health. I’m Bob Hirshon for AAAS, the Science Society.