Apr 29, 2020 - Stories

A 23andMe Skeptic Changes Her Mind

Maida approached 23andMe as a skeptic, but seeing her reports completely changed her mind.

Maida, who has celiac and type 2 diabetes, used 23andMe because she was curious about her genetic predispositions.

Changing her Mind

Maida was shocked that the 23andMe reports did indeed indicate that she had a higher genetic likelihood of developing both conditions. Maida was first diagnosed with celiac disease in the 1970s. The autoimmune condition can damage the small intestine, triggered by the consumption of gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye).

A lot has changed in medicine since Maida was diagnosed with celiac disease. The diagnosis of type 2 diabetes came much later.

“Both of those things showed up on my report, boom boom,” Maida said. “Ok, I believe this test has got something right.”

Maida also noticed that her report indicated she is at increased risk for developing harmful blood clots due to the factor V Leiden variant.

“I told my doctor about it. She wrote it down in my chart, saying that she will watch out for deep vein clotting,” said Maida.

A Little Neanderthal

As for her 23andMe ancestry reports, those confirmed what she already knew about her family. Maida comes from a long line of Englishmen, supported by some Northern European, French, German and Scandinavian stock.

The one surprise for Maida was discovering she has a significant number of Neanderthal traits. According to her report, the highest number of Neanderthal traits found was 367, but Maida has a whopping 328.

“I thought, what am I, A caveman?” Maida mused.

What began as a slightly skeptical experiment has completely turned Maida’s opinions around.

“I’ve recommended 23andMe to other people,” Maida said. “I’ve told my doctors about it too.”

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