Renting a home, rather than owning it outright, may speed up the body's aging process, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that when compared with people who owned their home outright (no mortgage), those who rented showed signs of faster "biological aging" -- which meant their body cells and tissues were a bit "older."

On average, the impact was equivalent to just a small fract...

As it stands, no one blood test or brain scan can definitively diagnose Parkinson's disease.

But researchers report this may soon change if a new blood test continues to show promise.

The test measures DNA damage in the mitochondria of cells, which is known to be higher in people with Parkinson's disease. Earlier research from the same group also showed there is an accumulation of m...

It's common knowledge that loss is a part of male aging -- loss of hair, loss of muscle tone, loss of vision or hearing.

But men growing older also start losing the very thing that makes them biological males, their Y chromosome, and that can leave them more vulnerable to cancer, a new study says.

The loss of the Y chromosome can help cancer cells evade detection by the body's immun...

Detailed remnants of human DNA can be found just about everywhere that people have been, a surprising finding that raises a host of ethical issues for researchers, a new study says.

Environmental samples of human DNA were found nearly everywhere, save for isolated islands and remote mountaintops where people have never visited, researchers said. While sequencing this DNA offers researcher...

Last year, gene researchers made news by announcing the completion of the first complete sequence of the human genome.

That effort has now been expanded, with researchers using that success as a springboard to create a comprehensive and sophisticated collection of genome sequences that more accurately captures human diversity.

The new "pangenome"includes the genome sequences of 47 d...

A new study builds upon earlier evidence that vaping isn't any healthier than smoking.

In analyzing epithelial cells taken from the mouths of vapers, smokers and people who had never vaped or smoked, researchers found that vapers and smokers had more than twice the amount of DNA damage as found in non-users.

Those who vaped or smoked more frequently had higher DNA damage.

Ep...

Is your pooch a herder or a hunter? You can try taking them to a trainer, but new research shows much of their behavior is hardwired in their DNA.

For the new study, researchers analyzed DNA samples from more than 200 dog breeds and surveyed 46,000 pet-owners to try to suss out why certain breeds act the way they do.

"The largest, most successful genetic experiment that humans have ...

A person's unrelated lookalike, commonly known as a doppelganger, may actually share genes that affect not only how they appear, but also their behavior.

In a new study, scientists did DNA analysis on 32 sets of virtual twins -- people with strong facial similarities -- and found they possessed similar genetic variants.

"Our study provides a rare insight into human likeness by sho...

More than 70 genes are very strongly associated with autism and more than 250 are linked to the condition, a major new genetic analysis has revealed.

The analysis is the largest of its kind to date, involving more than 150,000 participants, including 20,000 diagnosed with autism.

The researchers found t...

While the herpes virus that causes lip sores is common today, it has been difficult for scientists to find traces of it among ancient remains.

Now, researchers report they have uncovered and sequenced four ancient herpes virus