Tech & Biz

Google Cofounder, Sergey Brin, Blogging

by Jason Sanders | September 18, 2008 at 01:52 pm

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Sergey Brin, Google co founder, launched a personal blog earlier today on BlogSpot, opening with a post about the difference between his blog, too, and Google. The next post followed a minute later recounting his mother's fight with Parkinson's disease and the many misdiagnoses throughout the years. He then fast forwards to 2004 where he began collaborating with 23andMe, discovering some surprises about himself and confirming his mother's suspicions.

I carry the G2019S [LRRK2] mutation and when my mother checked her account, she saw she carries it too.

The exact implications of this are not entirely clear. Early studies tend to have small samples with various selection biases. Nonetheless it is clear that I have a markedly higher chance of developing Parkinson's in my lifetime than the average person. In fact, it is somewhere between 20% to 80% depending on the study and how you measure.

Sergey concluded the post with a promise of support for Parkinson's research and encouraged readers to do the same by directing them to The Michael J. Fox Foundation and The Parkinson's Institute Web site.

I now have the opportunity to adjust my life to reduce those odds (e.g. there is evidence that exercise may be protective against Parkinson's). I also have the opportunity to perform and support research into this disease long before it may affect me. And, regardless of my own health it can help my family members as well as others.

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