Adolf Hitler may have suffered from a rare genetic condition that interfered with the normal development of his sexual organs, according to new research. Scientists made the discovery after analysing DNA taken from a blood-stained cloth believed to have come from the sofa where Hitler took his own life in 1945. The sample had been preserved by a US Army colonel who retrieved it shortly after the dictator’s death.
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Their findings suggest that Hitler had Kallmann syndrome — a genetic disorder known to delay or completely prevent puberty and hinder the development of male reproductive organs. The results, revealed in the Channel 4 documentary Hitler’s DNA: Blueprint of a Dictator, also challenge long-standing myths that Hitler had Jewish ancestry. Experts involved in the programme added that the genetic evidence indicates he may have experienced one or more neurodiverse or mental health conditions.
Kallmann syndrome is a rare genetic condition characterised by delayed or absent puberty and a diminished or lost sense of smell. It is a form of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, a disorder where the brain fails to produce adequate sex hormones, rather than a problem in the sexual organs themselves.
Men born with this condition often exhibit an unusually small penis, known as micropenis, and undescended testes, a condition referred to as cryptorchidism. Dr Hana Patel, a GP consultant for Superdrug Online Doctor, said symptoms of Kallmann syndrome typically appear around puberty.
“Alongside delayed puberty, limited or no growth of pubic or underarm hair, and an absence of menstrual periods, one of the most common signs is a poor or missing sense of smell,” she explained.
The impaired sense of smell, known as anosmia, results from disrupted development of nerve cells, Dr Patel noted. “In some cases, people may also experience hearing issues, cleft lip or palate, or irregular kidney development,” she added.
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Dr Patel further explained that Kallmann syndrome can affect both the sexual organs and secondary sexual characteristics, such as facial hair growth in men and breast development in women. With information from The Independent.
