Johns Hopkins University researchers and colleagues have found that people’s epigenome (the pattern of methyl groups attached to DNA bases that influences how genes function) changes throughout their life, and the way it changes (gaining or losing methyl groups) runs in families.

This shows that these epigenetic (potentially reversible changes that do not alter the actual nucleotide sequence of the DNA but do affect its functioning) features are influenced by our genetic make-up.

Epigenetic changes are thought to be involved in many cancers and other diseases of old age, such as diabetes.