Health buzz

Lovelorn8230;
Swedish study finds genetic link to men8217;s relationship woes

Swedish researchers say they have found a link between a specific gene and the way men bond to their partners, which can explain why some men are more prone to problems in their love life. 8220;There are, of course, many reasons why a person may have relationship problems, but this is the first time that a specific gene variant has been associated with how men bond to their partners,8221; said Hasse Walum, a post-graduate student at the Karolinska Institute. The researchers found that men who carry one or two copies of a variant of the gene often behave differently in relationships than men who lack the gene variant. Four of 10 men in Sweden carry the gene variant, called allele 334 said Walum. The study surveyed 550 twins and their partners or spouses in Sweden. Men who had two copies of allele 334 were twice as likely to have had a marital or relationship crisis in the past year than those who lacked the gene variant, it said. 8220;Women married to men who carry one or two copies of allele 334 were, on average, less satisfied with their relationship than women married to men who didn8217;t carry this allele,8221; Walum said. The gene in question controls the production of a molecule receptor for vasopressin, a hormone that is found in most mammals. The same gene has previously been linked to monogamous behaviour in male voles, a mouselike rodent.