New rules issued by the US Food and Drug Administration earlier this month mean we may finally know what it means when a label on food we buy says “Gluten-Free.”<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-8468" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/iStock_000014686955XSmall-300x199.jpg" alt="Flour wheat celiac" width="300" height="199" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/iStock_000014686955XSmall-300x199.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/iStock_000014686955XSmall.jpg 425w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
The new standards are hugely important for the more than 3 million Americans with celiac disease as well as many others who for other reasons may need to avoid gluten.
Gluten, a protein found in wheat, triggers a mistaken immune response in those with <a href="http://www.celiacdiseasecenter.org/">Celiac</a>. This in turn can damage the lining of the small intestines and undermine the absorption of nutrients, ultimately causing symptoms that range from stomachaches to diarrhea and iron deficiency.
For those without Celiac who are also trying to avoid gluten – namely people who have allergies to wheat or simply a gluten intolerance – <a href="https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/Allergens/ucm362880.htm">the new standards</a> are also important.
Now anyone buying food with a “gluten-free” label, knows that means that to get that label the food must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

New Standards Regulating Gluten Labeling

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-18943" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/psoriasis-graphic-700x440.jpg" alt="psoriasis graphic" width="700" height="440" />For the live-updated, fully-labelled, interactive version of this infographic, <a href="http://curetogether.com/psoriasis/ig/treatment-effectiveness-vs-popularity">click here</a>.
By Alexandra Carmichael, Co-Founder of CureTogether
People living with Psoriasis have reported that some of the most effective treatments for their skin include simple interventions like sunlight, salt water, and avoiding stresses. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-3290" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/itchy.jpg" alt="itchy" width="350" height="260" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/itchy.jpg 350w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/itchy-300x223.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" /> 
This is according to a new study by CureTogether, a free resource owned by 23andMe that allows people to share information about their health and treatments.
Psoriasis is one of the most prevalent autoimmune disorders in the United States, affecting an estimated seven million Americans and 125 million worldwide. The condition is characterized by patches of itchy, scaly skin. In its mild form, psoriasis may be just a nuisance, but severe cases can be both painful,   disfiguring and debilitating.
Finding the right treatment can be difficult, so CureTogether asked people living with Psoriasis to rate the effectiveness of 34 different patient-reported treatments.
Participants in the study said they found that phototherapy, cortisone injections, swimming in the ocean, and sunlight were among the most effective, in addition to avoiding stress and triggers and the medications Dovonex and T-Gel. Conversely some common treatments such as oatmeal baths, Epsom salts, and Vitamin D, were among the least effective, according to the study.
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 200px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
Most Effective Rated Treatments for Psoriasis 
1. UVB Phototherapy 
2. Cortisone injection 
3. Salt water/ocean 
4. Sunlight 
5. Topical corticosteroids 
6. Avoid triggers 
7. Avoid stress 
8. Dovonex 
9. UVA Phototherapy 
10. T-Gel
</div>
Where did this data come from? This is the result of a four-year CureTogether study on <a href="http://curetogether.com/psoriasis/symptoms/">Psoriasis</a>, in which 275 people living with the condition shared information about their symptoms and what treatments worked best for them. We’d like to thank those who participated. And just as they shared their experience with treatments, we’re freely and openly sharing the results of the Psoriasis study.
This is part of a regular series of CureTogether <a href="http://curetogether.com/blog/category/research-findings/">research findings</a>. CureTogether’s research findings are different than <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/factoids/">those made by 23andMe</a>, which look at genetic associations with illness, traits and drug response. But as we continue our work with the CureTogether community, 23andMe hopes to incorporate more of this kind of self-reported information into our own research. CureTogether present its findings just as they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.
Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in Psoriasis. Thank you!
<div style="background-color: #ffc; padding: 10px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; border: 1px solid #ccc;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-12163" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/JRBgdIBXKIeVIdETJrxYIw_ttam_logo.jpg" alt="small_23andMe_logo" width="24" height="40" />Your Genetic Risk for Psoriasis 
23andMe Customers can view their results for three gene variants that affect their risk for psoriasis here. Not yet a member? <a href="https://www.23andme.com/store/cart/http://" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Visit our store</a>!</div>

Alexandra Carmichael

What Patients Say Works for Psoriasis

The New Yorker recently described the artist Laurel Nakadate as an “unpredictable, sometimes infuriating young photographer.”
Perhaps. But whatever description you use, the images she creates are singularly arresting.
In her latest series of portraits – called “Strangers and Relations”  – she turned to her 23andMe DNA relative matches for inspiration.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Suki_Dhanda_Portrait_LR-225x300.jpg" alt="Laurel Nakadate. Photo: © Suki Dhanda, 2011, Courtesy Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects, New York" class="size-medium wp-image-18738" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Suki_Dhanda_Portrait_LR-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Suki_Dhanda_Portrait_LR-660x880.jpg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Suki_Dhanda_Portrait_LR.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /> Laurel Nakadate. Photo: © Suki Dhanda, 2011, Courtesy Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects, New York
Laurel, who was born in Texas but raised in Iowa, is of primarily Japanese and European ancestry. But what that meant didn’t really come to life for her until she opened her  23andMe results and saw  the melange of ancestry among her relatives not only on her mother&#8217;s side, but with all the distant relations she found through 23andMe.
“It did surprise me,” she said. &#8220;My mom&#8217;s family always said we were primarily English, Irish and Scottish, but I was delighted to learn that we are also part African.&#8221;
Laurel was struck by the idea that these people who were strangers to her were also connected to her by a common distant relative. And it was that incongruous mix of the familiar and foreign that spurred Laurel on her project to document these people to whom she was related. It turned into a 37,000-mile journey in which she crisscrossed the United States to photograph those distant cousins.
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 275px; background-color: #eee; padding: 10px; margin-left: 10px;">An Upcoming solo exhibit of Laurel Nakadate work: &#8211; Laurel Nakadate: Strangers and Relations University Art Gallery, Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, TN February &#8211; April 2014 Upcoming group exhibits that include Laurel’s work: &#8211; Damage Control: Art and Destruction Since 1950 Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C. October 24, 2013 — February 9, 2014 &#8211; Dis-semblance: Perceiving and Projecting Identity Today 21c Museum, Cincinnati, OH July &#8211; December, 2013</div>
These were all relatives she found on her maternal line. In each case she connected with them through 23andMe, which allows you to connect to your relative “matches” if both parties wish to make that connection. In Laurel’s case she made contact and sent messages explaining what she was doing and asked the people who were matched with her if they would be interested in participating. Quite a few welcomed the opportunity. As she fanned out across the United States, Laurel not only got to take photographs she also learned a little bit about their shared family history.
The portraits – all outdoors, all at night with people standing alone and lit-up by a flashlight – are all taken from a distance. The photos feel both distant and intimate – with the subjects wearing everything from what looks like a fake fur coat, to camouflage hunting gear, to a doctor’s white coat. One reviewer described the mix of photos as &#8220;a collected portrait of America.&#8221;
If you have the chance, you should check out the exhibit.
23andMe provides genetic testing services for informational purposes; your results may or may not help you to search for or identify relatives or family members.

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				<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Tyler2_MG_0651_LR-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" aria-describedby="gallery-1-18736" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Tyler2_MG_0651_LR-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Tyler2_MG_0651_LR-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Tyler2_MG_0651_LR-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Tyler2_MG_0651_LR-574x574.jpg 574w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
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				Tyler, Texas #2, 2013. © Laurel Nakadate, Courtesy Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects, New York
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				<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Akron_MG_26630_LR-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" aria-describedby="gallery-1-18734" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Akron_MG_26630_LR-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Akron_MG_26630_LR-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Akron_MG_26630_LR-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Akron_MG_26630_LR-574x574.jpg 574w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
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				Akron, Ohio #1, 2013 © Laurel Nakadate, Courtesy Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects, New York


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				<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Kalispell_MG_1132_LR-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" aria-describedby="gallery-1-18733" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Kalispell_MG_1132_LR-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Kalispell_MG_1132_LR-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Kalispell_MG_1132_LR-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Kalispell_MG_1132_LR-574x574.jpg 574w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
			</dt>
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				<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Cleveland_MG_9246_LR-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" aria-describedby="gallery-1-18731" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Cleveland_MG_9246_LR-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Cleveland_MG_9246_LR-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Cleveland_MG_9246_LR-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LN_Relations_Cleveland_MG_9246_LR-574x574.jpg 574w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
			</dt>
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				Cleveland, Ohio #1, 2012 © Laurel Nakadate, Courtesy Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects, New York
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Strangers and Relations

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-18816" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Google-Doodle-300x200.jpg" alt="Google Doodle" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Google-Doodle-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Google-Doodle.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Francis Crick and James Watson might not have been able to describe the iconic double helix structure of DNA more than 60 years ago, if it hadn’t been for <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Tech-Culture/2013/0725/Google-Doodle-How-Rosalind-Franklin-photographed-DNA">Rosalind Franklin</a>, who was honored today in a <a href="https://www.google.com/">Google Doodle.</a>
Franklin, who would have turned 93 today, took an x-ray image that helped Watson and Crick as they were working on what became a seminal paper in Nature. She died just five years later. Crick, Watson and a co-worker of Franklin’s, Maurice Wilkins, were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-18756 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Fibromyalgia-Graphic.jpg" alt="" width="925" height="601" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Fibromyalgia-Graphic.jpg 925w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Fibromyalgia-Graphic-300x195.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Fibromyalgia-Graphic-768x499.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Fibromyalgia-Graphic-880x572.jpg 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 925px) 100vw, 925px" />For the live-updated, fully-labelled, interactive version of this infographic, <a href="http://curetogether.com/fibromyalgia/ig/treatment-effectiveness-vs-popularity">click here</a>.
By Alexandra Carmichael, Co-Founder of CureTogether 
In a surprising finding, patients who live with the painful disorder fibromyalgia have reported that commonly prescribed drugs for this condition actually make their symptoms worse. This is according to a new study by CureTogether, a free resource owned by 23andMe that allows people to share information about their health and treatments.
People in the study said they found that lifestyle changes like rest, heat, and various ways of reducing stress offered the most effective relief. In addition many of those surveyed said that the drug Naltrexone at a low dose worked well. Conversely, well-known fibromyalgia drugs such as Lyrica, Savella, Cymbalta, and Effexor, were reported to worsen rather than improve patients’ symptoms, according to the study.
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 200px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
Most Effective Rated Treatments for People with Fibromyalgia 
1. Low-dose Naltrexone (LDN) 
2. Rest 
3. Hot showers/baths 
4. Heating pads 
5. Getting enough sleep 
6. Hydrotherapy 
7. Vicodin 
8. Reduce stress 
9. Meditation 
10. Gluten-free diet
</div>
Fibromyalgia affects at least 5 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The disorder is characterized by musculoskeletal pain, and other symptoms including fatigue, disrupted sleep, as well as depression. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way a patient’s brain processes pain signals. The condition is poorly understood,, so finding accurate recommendations on treatments can be challenging.
In the CureTogether study, researchers asked 1,401 people suffering from <a href="http://curetogether.com/fibromyalgia/symptoms/">fibromyalgia</a>  to rate the effectiveness of 104 different treatments. Participants shared information about their symptoms as well as what treatments worked best for them. We’d like to thank those who participated. And just as they shared their experience with treatments, we’re freely and openly sharing the results of the Fibromyalgia study.
This is part of a regular series of CureTogether <a href="http://curetogether.com/blog/category/research-findings/">research findings</a>. CureTogether’s research findings are different than <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/factoids/">those made by 23andMe</a>, which look at genetic associations with illness, traits and drug response. But as we continue our work with the CureTogether community, 23andMe hopes to incorporate more of this kind of self-reported information into our own research. CureTogether present its findings just as they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.
Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in Fibromyalgia. Thank you!

What Patients Say Works for Fibromyalgia

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-15595" alt="DNA-bases" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DNA-bases-200x200.png" width="200" height="200" />By Amick B. 
Research shows a strong genetic basis for autism, but for years scientists have been<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/autism-study-reveals-no-genetic-associations/"> unable</a> to pinpoint the specific genetic variants associated with the condition, which may affect as many as one in 88 children in the United States.
<h6>Mitochondrial DNA and Autism</h6>
For some time now researchers have speculated that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) may be involved in autism.  Mitochondrial DNA , which is passed down from mother to child, is found in the cell&#8217;s mitochondria – distinct structures that act as a power plant for the cells by converting oxygen and simple sugars into readily-usable energy. Scientists have hypothesized that byproducts or problems with this process might be related to the development of autism spectrum disorders.
A recent study, however, suggests that genetic variants in mtDNA, also known as mito, may not be as important as some had supposed.  The researchers, led by Athena Hadjixenofontos and Jacob  McCauley from the University of Miami, considered mtDNA from nearly 1300 individuals from various ancestral backgrounds with autism spectrum disorders.  
<h6>No Significant Associations</h6>
They looked at both associations with mitochondrial haplogroups as well as individual variants within the mtDNA.  In both cases, they came up empty-handed. The mito was mightily disappointing.
Although no significant associations resulted from this study, the mitochondrial genome remains an intriguing potential path toward further investigation into the genetics of disorders on the spectrum.  
It may be that with larger sample sizes they may find that mtDNA plays an important role in autism genetics after all.  Or, it may be that with further research they will be able to conclusively rule out the role of mtDNA.  
Either way, we&#8217;ll come closer to understanding this common condition.

Amick Boone

Mito Mightily Disappoints Autism Researchers

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-9055 size-full alignright" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/sarcoma-image1.jpg" alt="" width="315" height="257" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/sarcoma-image1.jpg 315w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/sarcoma-image1-300x245.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 315px) 100vw, 315px" />By Bertram K. 
Two days after his death in May, Zach Sobiech’s song “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDC97j6lfyc">Clouds</a>” became the number one download on iTunes and now has surpassed seven million views on YouTube.
In it, Zach sings about his fight with cancer and bids farewell to family and friends. While I feel heavy-hearted listening to “Clouds,” Zach radiates a love and happiness that is particularly notable given his diagnosis of terminal cancer. At the age of 14, Zach was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19197972">most common</a> malignant bone cancer affecting children and teenagers. The popularity of “Clouds” has helped bring awareness to Zach’s <a href="http://www.childrenscancer.org/zach/">Osteosarcoma Fund</a> at Children&#8217;s Cancer Research Fund, which supports research at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center.
<iframe loading="lazy" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/sDC97j6lfyc?rel=0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
This organization partially funds the work of Logan Spector, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota and an expert in osteosarcoma research. Logan Spector, along with Sharon Savage and Stephen Chanock from the National Cancer Institute and nearly 50 other colleagues from around the world, recently published a study in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v45/n7/full/ng.2645.html">Nature Genetics</a> looking at the association between genes and osteosarcomas.
By comparing 910 patients of European descent with osteosarcoma and 3,200 healthy people, the researchers identified a number of markers associated with osteosarcoma. The marker with the strongest association (rs1906953) is found in the GRM4 gene, which influences critical signalling within cells. Indeed, the researchers found that each copy of the T version of this marker is associated with 1.6 times higher odds of developing osteosarcoma.
This isn’t the first observed connection between signalling genes and osteosarcoma. A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20697156">previous study</a> showed that mutations in another signalling gene led to osteosarcoma in mice.
Research exploring the connection between genes and cancer is important.  While this study was a valuable first step towards understanding osteosarcoma genetics, there is still much to discover. Members of the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/sarcoma/">23andMe Sarcoma Community</a> have therefore come together to help uncover genetic associations for various forms of cancer, such as osteosarcoma and <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/ewing-sarcoma">Ewing Sarcoma</a>.
Hopefully, such genetic research will eventually lead to more targeted and personalized cancer therapies. Some may say that we have our heads in the &#8220;clouds.&#8221; And it may be many years before genetic research findings are translated into a &#8220;little bit more time&#8221; for people like Zach Sobiech.  Nevertheless, we choose to take a lesson from Zach, and will continue to look &#8220;up, up, up.&#8221;  As this brave young man said, &#8220;we&#8217;ll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer.&#8221;
Bertram is a biomedical engineer by training with a long-held interest in making science accessible to all. As a health scientist at 23andMe, he enjoys writing about notable genetic breakthroughs. You will also find Bertram climbing mountains worldwide, summer and winter.

Bertram Koelsch

A Song Draws Focus on Osteosarcoma Research

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-18592 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Acne-Treatments.jpg" alt="" width="707" height="459" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Acne-Treatments.jpg 707w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Acne-Treatments-300x195.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 707px) 100vw, 707px" />For the live-updated, fully-labelled, interactive version of this graphic, <a href="http://curetogether.com/acne/ig/treatment-effectiveness-vs-popularity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
By Alexandra Carmichael, Co-Founder of CureTogether
Some of the most effective treatments for acne are not necessarily drugs, according to a new study by <a href="http://curetogether.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CureTogether</a>, a free resource owned by 23andMe that allows people to share information about their health and treatments.
People in the study said they found that lifestyle changes like a paleo diet, reducing sugar, and getting plenty of sunshine were among the most effective in treating acne. In addition, those who participated in the study said that more conventional medical treatments such as Accutane, which ranked at the top of the list, helped a great deal. Conversely some common treatments such as Clearasil, hydrogen peroxide, and soap, were among the least effective, according to the study.
Acne affects millions of Americans and can be embarrassing to experience. Finding accurate recommendations on treatments that work well can be challenging, so CureTogether asked people suffering from acne to rate the effectiveness of different treatments. The study compiled responses from 4,375 people with acne, who rated the effectiveness of 72 different treatments.
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 200px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
Most Effective Rated Treatments for People with Acne 
1. Accutane 
2. Paleo diet 
3. No gluten 
4. Bactrim 
5. Sunshine 
6. 10% Benzoyl Peroxide cream 
7. No sugar 
8. Avoid touching face 
9. No dairy 
10. Birth control pill
</div>
Where did this data come from? This is the result of a four-year CureTogether study on <a href="http://curetogether.com/acne/symptoms/">Acne</a>, in which people living with the condition shared information about their symptoms and what treatments worked best for them. We’d like to thank those who participated. And just as they shared their experience with treatments, we’re freely and openly sharing the results of the acne study.
This is part of a regular series of CureTogether <a href="http://curetogether.com/blog/category/research-findings/">research findings</a>. CureTogether’s research findings are different than <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/factoids/">those made by 23andMe</a>, which look at genetic associations with illness, traits and drug response. But as we continue our work with the CureTogether community, 23andMe hopes to incorporate more of this kind of self-reported information into our own research. CureTogether present its findings just as they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.
Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in acne. Thank you!

What Patients Say Works Best for Acne

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-18559 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RN4_9696-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1704" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RN4_9696-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RN4_9696-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RN4_9696-768x511.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RN4_9696-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RN4_9696-880x586.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RN4_9696-1180x785.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />Greta had given up on ever finding her mother.
From her adoption papers she had a name, Carolyn Palmer, but decades of searching never got her any closer to finding the woman who gave birth to her, or any other blood relative for that matter.
“My missing family history amounted to a million missing pieces that left me feeling vulnerable and disconnected,” she said.
So by the time she joined 23andMe it wasn’t really about finding family members, she just wanted to learn a little bit more about herself.
That all changed earlier this year when Greta got an email from another 23andMe member.
“&#8217;I am new to this <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">DNA relative finder</a> website, but it seems we are first cousins! This is a pretty neat discovery,&#8217;” said an email from her new-found cousin Laura Oliver.
Greta was stunned. It was her first contact with a blood relative.
Greta and Laura exchanged emails and then Laura mentioned her grandparents names, Thomas and Sadie Palmer.
“I gasped in disbelief as I realized that, for the first time in my life, I was hearing from such a close relative. In that initial email she also told me that she was the grand-daughter of Thomas and Sadie Palmer. My biological mother’s name was Carolyn Palmer. I began to cry,” Greta said. 
<iframe loading="lazy" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3GXYC5r1H9U?rel=0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Then the bitter pain of learning that she was just a few months too late to meet her mother, who had died less than a year before.
“But you have a sister who is still alive,” Laura told Greta.
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“The words still take my breath away. Laura went on to tell me that my living sister’s name was Stacy Arena and that she was “so beautiful.”
Unbeknownst to Greta, Stacy had been searching too.   It was just that Stacy didn’t know where to start looking. More than 20 years ago, after Stacy’s older sister died in an accident, her mother told her that she had a sister, whom her mother had given up for adoption at birth.
But her mother had told her nothing more and wouldn&#8217;t speak about it. So for Stacy, all she had were questions. Who was her older sister?   What did she look like? Where was she?
Ever since then Stacy would wonder whether she was passing her sister in the street. Sometimes she’d look out into a crowd and scanning for a women who looked like her. “Could that be her?” she’d ask herself.
It wasn’t until her cousin Laura made the connection through 23andMe, that Stacy could finally answer those questions. A few weeks after connecting online the two sisters met for the first time, hugging in the front yard of Stacy’s home in South Carolina, holding on to each other for a very long time.
Inside the living room the two sisters thumbed through family photo albums. Greta marveling at pictures of people who were strangers to her but who were her relatives. She spent a long time staring at pictures of her mother, looking at her face and eyes.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-18560 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RN4_9658-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1704" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RN4_9658-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RN4_9658-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RN4_9658-768x511.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RN4_9658-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RN4_9658-880x586.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RN4_9658-1180x785.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />
“I’m connected to all these people I’ve never seen before. This was my family,” Greta said. “It’s quite disorienting.”
With her sister sitting next to her Stacy marveled at the miracle of the two finding each other.
“If it weren’t for 23andMe this never would have happened,” she said.
23andMe provides genetic testing services for informational purposes; your results may or may not help you to search for or identify relatives or family members.

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