PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Surgeons and anesthesiologists know this quite well: When it comes to pain, redheads very often require more anesthesia, as it takes longer for the medicine to have its effect.
Only 1% to 2% of the world’s population have red hair, and they have been studied extensively.
True redheads carry two copies of a variant melanocortin 1 receptor gene, which is associated with external traits like red hair, pale skin and freckles.
However, their genes put them at greater risk for malignant melanoma. People with red hair also generate more vitamin D, which helps fight osteoporosis as they age.
Medical treatments are rapidly becoming more personalized and focusing more on genes — genes that control not only one’s outward appearance but also the ability to develop certain health problems and fight others.
Get more medical reports from Dr. Brian McDonough.
KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.