Study identifies 74 genetic variants linked to anxiety disorders
Researchers have identified 74 genetic variants associated with anxiety disorders, a group of conditions that are widespread and increasingly common, particularly among young people.
More than half of the identified variants — 39 in total — had never previously been linked to anxiety disorders. The findings come from the largest study ever conducted in this field, involving nearly 700,000 people of European ancestry. The research was published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, CE Report quotes ANSA.
The study was led by researchers from King's College London and the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia. The findings provide new insights into the genetic foundations of anxiety disorders and how genetic factors interact with life experiences and social environments.
Many of the genes identified by the research team, coordinated by Thalia Eley, are highly active in the brain and play important roles in the way nerve cells communicate with one another.
The study also revealed significant genetic correlations between anxiety and a range of mental and physical health conditions, including depression, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain, coronary artery disease, endometriosis, and migraine.
"These correlations highlight the interconnectedness of mental and physical health. Our findings do not reveal a cause-and-effect relationship, but they raise important questions for future research," said Brittany Mitchell, who co-authored the study alongside Megan Skelton.
Skelton emphasized that genetics alone do not determine whether a person will develop anxiety.
"It is important to note that a person with a high genetic risk may never develop anxiety, while someone with a low genetic risk may still experience it," she said.
However, researchers believe that a better understanding of genetic risk could help identify individuals who are more sensitive to environmental influences, ultimately contributing to more effective prevention strategies and treatments for anxiety disorders.
The findings offer a significant step forward in understanding one of the world's most common mental health conditions and could pave the way for more personalized approaches to mental healthcare in the future.
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