Until 30% of Northern European men are over 60 years old They have Dupuytren’s contracture. It is sometimes called “Viking disease” because it mostly affects people of Northern European descent. This condition is much more common in men than women and usually begins as a lump on the palm that enlarges and causes one or more fingers to lock in a crooked position. This condition is usually not painful, but sometimes the nodule can soften when pressed.

Neanderthals lived in Europe and western Asia until about 40,000 years ago, when they were replaced by modern humans. However, before disappearing, Neanderthals mixed with modern humans. As a result, between one and two percent of the genomes of people with roots outside Africa are of Neanderthal origin.

“Because Dupuytren’s contracture is rarely seen in individuals of African descent, we wondered whether Neanderthal genetic variants could partly explain why people from outside Africa are affected,” said Hugo Zeberg, a professor in the department. Karolinska Institute.

The researchers used data from three large clinical cohorts from the US, UK and Finland, which allowed them to compare the genomes of 7,871 affected and 645,880 healthy controls. They identified 61 genetic risk factors for Dupuytren’s contracture. The researchers found that three of these were inherited from Neanderthals, and these were the second and third most important risk factors.

This study is further evidence that miscegenation between Neanderthals and our ancestors had important consequences on the prevalence of some diseases, especially among certain groups.

“This is a case where encounters with Neanderthals have affected people suffering from disease, although we should not exaggerate the relationship between Neanderthals and Vikings,” said Hugo Zeberg.