The island is so remote from the rest of mankind that the only way to get there is by a six-day ship journey across the South Atlantic. Tristan da Cunha is 1,750 miles from South Africa. There are no airports, no ferry routes, and no new people to mix the gene pool. For scientists trying to crack the genetic code of asthma, this tiny volcanic outcrop has proven to be one of the most extraordinary natural laboratories on the planet.
Zamel and colleagues at the University of Toronto Genetics of Asthma Research Group published a landmark study, ‘Asthma on Tristan da Cunha: looking for the genetic link. The University of Toronto Genetics of Asthma Research Group’s study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that 57 percent of islanders had partial evidence of asthma and 23 percent had a definitive diagnosis, defined as increased airway responsiveness combined with a positive medical history. In the same study, the researchers examined 282 islanders, or 97% of the total population. This is an unusually broad population coverage for medical research.
