Poor Neanderthals just couldn’t catch a break.
Our ancient ancestors, who probably died out through inbreeding, passed on genes which are still present in modern humans.
Research now shows that these Neanderthal genes also gave some people an increased risk of “Viking disease,” also referred to as Dupuytren’s contracture.
This condition causes the fingers of 1 or each hands to freeze in a permanently bent position.
It known as “Viking disease” since it appears most frequently in men of Scandinavian or northern European descent.
“Since Dupuytren’s contracture is never seen in people of African descent, we wondered if Neanderthal gene variants could partly explain why non-African individuals are affected by it,” Hugo Zeberg, assistant professor on the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said in a press release.
Researchers checked out genetic data from biobanks within the US, Finland and UK to match nearly 8,000 people with Dupuytren’s contracture to greater than 645,000 other people.
Sixty-one genetic risk aspects for Viking disease have been discovered, three of which were inherited from Neanderthals – including the second and third most vital risk aspects.
![image of a hand with bent fingers caused by Dupuytren's contracture](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/NYPICHPDPICT000012793824.jpg?w=1024)
The authors of the study concluded that their discovery is further evidence that our mixing with Neanderthals – who share as much as 98.5% of our DNA – has essential health consequences.
“That is a case where encountering Neanderthals affected who got the disease, although we shouldn’t exaggerate the connection between Neanderthals and Vikings,” said Dr Zeberg.
Neanderthals lived in Europe and western Asia until they were replaced by modern humans around 40,000 years ago. But before the Neanderthals disappeared, they mixed—and mated—with modern humans.
Some studies suggest that Neanderthals can have passed on a genetic predisposition to alcoholism, depression, autism and other diseases more severe COVID-19 infection.
About 30% of men over the age of 60 in northern Europe have Dupuytren’s contracture. It’s always not painful, but it will possibly prevent someone from doing their each day activities, in line with the Mayo Clinic.
The condition could be treated with surgery, steroid injections, or “needling,” which breaks down the tissue that causes the fingers to shrink.