Viking Disease [UPSC Notes]

A research used data from over 7,000 affected individuals to look for genetic risk factors for Viking disease. The findings show that three of the strongest risk factors are inherited from Neanderthals. Many men in northern Europe over the age of 60 suffer from the so-called Viking disease. In this disease, the fingers lock in a bent position. Read more about the Viking disease in this article. This topic is relevant for the IAS exam health segment.

What is the Viking Disease?

Up to 30 percent of men in northern Europe over 60 suffer from a condition called Dupuytren’s contracture. This condition is also called the Viking disease because it mainly affects individuals with northern European ancestry. 

• The Viking disease is more common in men than women and usually begins as a lump in the palm that grows and causes one or more fingers to lock in a bent position. It is not painful, but the nodules may sometimes be tender to pressure.

Image source: www.health.qld.gov.au

Findings of the Research: 

• The research set out to investigate whether genetic variants inherited from Neanderthals are involved in the disease.
• Neanderthals lived in Europe and western Asia until about 40,000 years ago when they were replaced by modern humans. However before Neanderthals disappeared, they mixed with modern humans. As a result, between one and two percent of the genomes of people with roots outside of Africa come from Neanderthals.
• It was found that three of these were inherited from Neanderthals, and these included the second and third most important risk factors.

Conclusion:

• It is evident from the study that the intermingling between Neanderthals and human ancestors has important consequences for the prevalence of some diseases, particularly among certain groups.
• But, as Dupuytren’s contracture is rarely seen in individuals of African descent, the gene variants from Neanderthals can partly explain why people outside of Africa are affected. Hence, the connection between Neanderthals and Vikings should not be exaggerated.

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