By Amick B.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-18399 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/mug_drinking.png" alt="" width="507" height="407" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/mug_drinking.png 507w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/mug_drinking-300x241.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 507px) 100vw, 507px" />
There are many studies that look at the health impacts of drinking coffee, but you’d be forgiven if you weren’t clear about whether it’s good for you.
Research has found consuming coffee could potentially prevent heart disease, type-2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and liver cancer, but the results are often conflicting. Beyond that, other variables can potentially negate any benefits from drinking a cup of Joe.
<h6>Variables</h6>
Whether you like your coffee black or with a bit of cream and sugar, for example, makes a difference for your health.
How much you drink and even the kinds of filters you use to make coffee could also have an impact.
All the conflicting information is enough to keep non-coffee drinkers from lining up at Starbucks, while those who indulge are left scratching their heads about whether they need to cut back or keep on imbibing.
<h6>Love Coffee</h6>
But there’s one area where the science seems certain:   Some of us are just more genetically wired to like coffee. A number of studies have identified certain genetic variants associated with <a href="http://www.23andme.com/topics/wellness/caffeine-consumption/">caffeine consumption</a> and metabolism, which helps us know why some of us choose coffee, and others don’t.
Recently, a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21876539" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new study</a> found some additional genetic variants associated with a tendency toward java enjoyment, including one near NRCAM, a gene implicated in vulnerability to addiction.   The study looked at nearly 8,000 Caucasian coffee drinkers and found significant evidence of gene association at the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) near NRCAM.
Using coffee consumption as a model, this new research may help scientists better understand genetic problems with addiction and how to treat them.
<h6>Metabolizing Caffeine</h6>
The recent study also looked at two SNPs that lie in the region between CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 genes — CYP1A1 is known to metabolize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are important constituents of coffee, whereas caffeine is primarily metabolized by CYP1A2. The study confirmed previous studies and added a new SNP, to the list of those associated with consumption of coffee and metabolism of caffeine.
23andMe looks at a variant that affects how quickly a person  metabolizes caffeine based on preliminary research of the SNP. People with and the slower version of the CYP1A2 enzyme who also drank at least two to three cups of coffee per day had a significantly increased risk of a non-fatal heart attack, according to the research, while, according to the study, fast metabolizers could actually reduce their heart attack risk by drinking coffee.
<h6>A Look Back</h6>
Additionally, in a 2011 blog post, 23andMe discussed <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/snpwatch/coffee-i-must-have-coffee/">two studies</a> that found an association between coffee and caffeine consumption and SNP variants near the CYP1A1 and AHR genes, helping us know which genes influence the amount of coffee people consume.   One study found the SNP near CYP1A1 had a fairly consistent effect – people with the T version were prone to drink about a quarter cup more of coffee a day — and the other showed that people with two copies of a T at near the AHR gene drank  about a third of a cup of coffee more each day than those without any copies.
To find out whether genetic variants influence their caffeine consumption, 23andMe customers can look up their data for and using the Browse Raw Data feature.
Amick Boone is a freelance writer who&#8217;s written about health and life sciences for nearly 10 years.  When she&#8217;s not at her computer, she&#8217;s usually in motion &#8211; doing yoga, riding her bike or traveling.

Amick Boone

Craving Coffee Might be Genetic

Robin Smith, Health Content Scientist
Some scientists believe that lobsters could live virtually forever, barring injury, disease, or capture. They are among a select group of animals, including tortoises, clams, and jellyfish, that are &#8220;negligibly senescent.&#8221;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-17393 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Telomere_caps-300x236.gif" alt="" width="300" height="236" />
They don&#8217;t age much. So why aren&#8217;t we so lucky?
<h2>Consider the Lobster</h2>
Unlike lobsters, our cells cannot replicate and renew themselves throughout our lives. One cause of this limitation is our telomeres, which are DNA segments at the ends of our chromosomes that get shorter with each replication.
When a cell&#8217;s telomeres get too short, it can no longer replicate and eventually dies. A few cells—namely adult stem cells, sperm, and egg cells—are not limited by this process, though. These cells have a telomerase enzyme that can rebuild telomeres when they get too short. This process is hijacked by cancer cells, which become effectively immortal by turning on telomerase.
<h2>Telomeres and Aging</h2>
There are several indications that telomere length is a good predictor of longevity. In newborns, telomere length varies from about 8,000-13,000 &#8220;<a href="https://www.23andme.com/gen101/genes/#basics">base pairs</a>&#8221; (DNA letters) in length and declines by about 20-40 base pairs each year. Telomeres are also longer in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1196417/">women than men</a>, mirroring the difference in lifespan between the sexes. In elderly twins, the twin with shorter telomeres is roughly <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=17925004">three times more likely</a> to die first.
The variability in telomere length between people of the same age is not random and has a genetic component that has interested scientists for decades. In a recent <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng.2528">study</a> in the Nature Genetics journal, scientists identified multiple markers associated with either shorter or longer telomeres.
The strongest of these resides near a gene named TERC. Each copy of a “T” at this position is associated with an average 117 base pair decrease in telomere length, equivalent to having the &#8220;biological age&#8221; of a person about four years older.
<h2>Other Factors in Aging</h2>
A person&#8217;s genetic makeup is not the only determinant of telomere length; environmental factors such as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=16112303">smoking and obesity</a> bring about premature telomere shortening.
Telomere length is also highly influenced by the father&#8217;s age at conception. Because sperm cells are one of only a few types of cells that maintain or even increase their telomere length over time, the trend is for older fathers to have children with longer telomeres.
This effect can even carry over to a second generation, including grandchildren. It&#8217;s interesting to speculate that trends in some societies towards delaying parenthood may have the unexpected benefit of boosting life expectancy. Any such benefit, however, would have to be weighed against the known <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/for-older-dads/">risks</a> of being an older dad.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Getting Long in the Telomeres

<div id="attachment_18329" style="width: 1080px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-18329" class="wp-image-18329 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mark-at-Cleveland-Clinic.jpg" alt="" width="1070" height="930" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mark-at-Cleveland-Clinic.jpg 1070w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mark-at-Cleveland-Clinic-300x261.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mark-at-Cleveland-Clinic-768x668.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mark-at-Cleveland-Clinic-1024x890.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mark-at-Cleveland-Clinic-880x765.jpg 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1070px) 100vw, 1070px" />Mark Ackerley speaking about DNA Melody at the Cleveland Clinic&#8217;s Personal Healthcare Summit.</div>
Mark Ackerley speaking about DNA Melody at the Cleveland Clinic&#8217;s Personal Healthcare Summit.
Mark Ackerley, a composer and a member of 23andMe&#8217;s marketing team, recently spoke at a personalized medicine conference about his creation, DNA Melody. While there, a string quartet performed a composition he wrote inspired by Dr. Kathryn Teng&#8217;s DNA Melody. Dr. Teng is the director of the Center for Personalized Healthcare at the Cleveland Clinic. Below is a condensed version of his talk as well as an excerpt of the piece Mark composed called &#8220;A Celebration of Vitality.&#8221; 

By Mark Ackerley
When I was in the fifth grade, I got to stay up late one night and watch the Arsenio Hall Show.   That night, Bill Clinton took the stage and proceeded to WAIL on the saxophone  – which blew my 10 year-old mind.   I decided that I had to be cool like this guy – I wanted to wail too.
So upon entering my music class in school, I told them I wanted to play saxophone, “preferably with dark glasses on.” The instructor responded with: “Why don’t we start you on clarinet…it’s just as cool, trust me.”   The teacher would not hear my cries of “but…I want to wail.”   So I got a clarinet, and over the course of the next year I firmly established myself as second to last chair in my class.   The girl in last chair never actually got her clarinet.   Thus began my illustrious career in music.
I hear people say so often “I used to play (insert instrument) but I quit when I was 13.   I wish my parents had made me continue.”
My response is always “It’s never too late.”   At 21, I had never taken music lessons (except my brief affair with the clarinet) and I didn’t know what middle C was or how to read a score.   Fast-forward eight years and I had a Bachelors Degree in Piano Performance from a major university, a Masters Degree in Music Composition from a major conservatory, and an opportunity to write a new piece for the Berkeley Symphony.   It’s never too late.
<div id="attachment_18332" style="width: 572px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-18332" class="wp-image-18332 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Melody.jpg" alt="" width="562" height="161" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Melody.jpg 562w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Melody-300x86.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 562px) 100vw, 562px" />A Celebration of Vitality</div>
The fact is everybody plays a musical instrument.   In fact you play THE instrument that all others seek to imitate — one that is capable of more colors and qualities than any other in the world.   That instrument is the human voice, and you have been playing it since birth.   On top of that, before you were able to see, smell, taste, or feel — it was SOUND that shaped your world, and the cells that formed your body in its primal stages were (and still are) governed by a rhythm.   Your body is a musical instrument.
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 250px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">MUSIC AND CULTURE 
I’d like to leave you with a question. But first, imagine ancient man. These people and their societies were preoccupied with the basic necessities of survival: food, water, shelter, and procreation. Music will not help you get any of these (trust me). And yet, every culture around the world and in every historical age there is evidence that music was practiced in some form. Music has never been pivotal to the success or failure of a society, yet it frames the most important aspects of our lives. We use music for war, weddings, and religious ceremonies, even funerals! I hear people say: “I want this song played at my funeral.” That is such a profound statement — that my lasting impression on my loved ones can be summed up in this piece of music. And conversely, it’s now commonplace to see a mother-to-be holding headphones to her stomach. It’s clear that music is one of the cornerstones of what it means to be human. My question is: Why? Why is this phenomenon so pervasive, when as I’ve demonstrated it has no utilitarian value? There is perhaps no one ‘right’ answer, but it is a question worth asking. The best I can do to answer is this:Just as DNA binds us all in a common thread, music fulfills the basic human desire to feel connected, and reminds us that we are not alone in the universe.</div>
My name is Mark Ackerley and I am a composer.   I write music.   I also work for 23andMe on the Marketing team.   I was recently invited to the Cleveland Clinic’s main facility in Ohio to share my creation, DNA Melody.   They asked me to present at the <a href="http://clevelandclinic.org/phcsummit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Third Annual Summit on Personalized Healthcare</a>, and to explain why it’s important to engage individuals who might be hesitant to approach the world of genomics.  DNA Melody seeks to do just that.   To help consumers understand their genetic information in a new and exciting way. Don’t get me wrong; DNA Melody is not a diagnostic tool, it won’t directly inform someone of his or her genetic conditions.   But it will shed some light on how genomics works, and how everyone can find it interesting and engaging.
DNA Melody works like this:   About 35 SNPs are arranged in an algorithm that translates genotypic information from an individual, to four different musical parameters.   Those parameters are rhythm, pitch, timbre, and key signature.   If we look at the SNP associated with eye color for example, you might have an ‘AA’ where I might have an ‘AG’.   The algorithm would insert a different rhythmic value based on that difference.   Expand this process over the other SNPs and your melody begins to take shape.
You may wonder if someone out there has the same melody as you.   Given the number of variables in the program, the odds that two people (assuming they are not identical twins) have the same exact melody is about 1 in 10^28.   In other words, anyone who signs up for 23andMe will get a totally unique melody based entirely on their personal genetic information.
To date, there are over 250,000 DNA Melodies.   Discover, download, share, and compare yours today.   You can find the DNA Melody feature in the Ancestry Tools section of your account.
<div style="float: left; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
<img decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-12163" title="small_23andMe_logo" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/JRBgdIBXKIeVIdETJrxYIw_ttam_logo.jpg" alt="" width="24" />
Hear the music in you and create your own DNA Melody. Not a customer? <a href="https://www.23andme.com/store/cart/">Visit our store! </a>
</div>

Mark Ackerley

DNA Melody, Play it Again

By Robin Smith, Health Content Scientist at 23andMe
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-18305" title="Yasmina.Bounty" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Yasmina.Bounty.jpg" alt="" width="295" height="240" />Image courtesy of <a href="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Yasmina.Bounty.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>.
In January of 1790, a small band of mutineers from the HMS Bounty evaded capture by the British Navy and settled Pitcairn Island in the South Pacific.
The direct descendants of this crew (and their captive Tahitian &#8220;wives&#8221;) now number in the thousands on nearby Norfolk Island, where the colony relocated in 1856. Detailed records on Norfolk have been used to construct an elaborate family tree of 6,500 individuals spanning 12 generations, all originating from just 17 colonists.
<h6 dir="ltr">Bottleneck Populations</h6>
Bottlenecked populations such as this one are of great interest to geneticists, as they can be used to test ideas about the heritability of common diseases. Modern-day Norfolk Islanders are particularly susceptible to migraines: debilitating headaches that often occur only on one side of the head and can be accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and other vision problems.
Norfolk Islanders are more than twice as likely to suffer from migraines as Caucasians in Europe and North America (25.5 percent vs. 12 percent) and the condition is clearly inherited within families.
<h6>Migraines</h6>
Although migraines have been linked to environmental triggers such as caffeine withdrawal and monosodium glutamate (MSG) consumption, the genetic factors that influence them have only recently begun to emerge. The <a href="http://www.headachegenetics.org/">International Headache Genetics Consortium (IHGC)</a> reported a <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng.2307">study</a> in the journal Nature Genetics in which a healthy cohort of 4,580 individuals was compared to 2,326 patients afflicted with the most common form of migraines. The IHGC study identified multiple risk regions encompassing genes that play key roles in the development of neurons and the formation of synapses in the brain.
The study found an association between the marker SNP and susceptibility to migraines. Each copy of a &#8220;C&#8221; at this position increases the odds of migraine by 20 percent.
<a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng.856">Previous research</a> by the same group identified three SNPs associated with migraine susceptibility. These markers are thought to indicate the function of a sensor protein involved in neuropathic pain, as well as a gene that regulates levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate.
<h6 dir="ltr">A question of cause</h6>
The underlying cause of the migraines on Norfolk Island remains elusive. A recent <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22678113">study</a> in the journal Neurogenetics suggested a link with variants near genes that regulate serotonin levels. One of many neurotransmitters, serotonin is a messaging molecule produced by specialized brain cells and influences a wide range of human behavior, including appetite, sleep, memory, and mood.
The finding in Norfolk Islanders is consistent with studies showing serotonin imbalances in people suffering from migraines. Moreover, a class of drugs named triptans mimic serotonin and has proven useful in combating the acute effects of migraines. Further study of the unique population on Norfolk Island will hopefully shed more light on this pathway and help to discover new risk factors for migraines.

Robin Smith

Mutiny (and Headaches) on the Bounty

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1138" title="fundus" alt="" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/fundus-300x222.jpg" width="300" height="222" /> 
Genetics plays a big role in the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the leading causes of vision loss among older Americans.
Luckily, there are ways to lower the risk through diet.
Recently the National Institutes of Health slightly<a href="http://www.nei.nih.gov/news/pressreleases/050513.asp"> changed its recommendations</a> regarding a combination of vitamins and minerals recommended to protect against AMD.
About two million Americans have advanced AMD and another eight million are at risk, according to the NIH.
Millions of Americans are already taking high daily doses of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and the minerals zinc and copper. Earlier studies showed that that formula – known as the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) formulation – could significantly cut the risk for AMD.


Now the NIH is recommending replacing the beta-carotene with the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, both found in leafy greens such as kale, spinach and broccoli. This is based on a new study that found that making the change improved the protective power of the formula.


Looking at participants in the study, researchers found that the revised formula reduced the risk of AMD by about 18 percent compared to the previous formula. For those individuals who prior to the study didn’t get a lot of lutein and zeaxanthin in the diet, the change had an even greater beneficial effect, cutting the risk of AMD by as much as 25 percent.

For Your Eyes Only

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-18272 size-medium" title="DNA Poster" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DNA-Poster-232x300.jpg" alt="" width="232" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DNA-Poster-232x300.jpg 232w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DNA-Poster-768x994.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DNA-Poster-791x1024.jpg 791w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DNA-Poster-680x880.jpg 680w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DNA-Poster-911x1180.jpg 911w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DNA-Poster.jpg 1275w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 232px) 100vw, 232px" />With participation by 23andMe and the three other major companies involved in DNA testing for ancestry, as well as talks from some of the most respected names in the field, it’s no wonder organizers are predicting the June 6th “Family History and DNA” conference in Burbank will sell out.
The event, planned in conjunction with the annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, will feature Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., Spencer Wells, and 23andMe’s own Joanna Mountain to name just a few.
Gates, the author of “Faces of America,” will give the luncheon address. The Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University, Gates is also the director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African-American Research. He is known for both his literary and cultural criticism, but more recently has gained popular notice through his shows on PBS that focus on ancestry and genetics.
<a id="docs-internal-guid-6bc9beae-b41b-3dcd-f9c4-6e544487efad" href="http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/Jamboree/2013/Schedule.htm">The line-up</a> for the day will also have representatives from all four of the major consumer genetics companies involved in genetic genealogy –   <a href="https://www.23andme.com/ancestry/">23andMe</a>, Ancestry.com, FamilyTree DNA, and the<a href="https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/"> Genographic Project</a>.
“This is the first genetic genealogy conference ever to bring together speakers from all of the major DNA testing companies that offer services to the genealogy community,” said<a href="http://www.yourgeneticgenealogist.com/"> CeCe Moore</a>, the conference coordinator and co-chair.
CeCe has close working relationships with all the four major testing companies including 23andMe. She is also the Southern California Regional Coordinator for the International Society for Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG). The ISOGG and the Southern California Genealogical Society teamed up to make this inaugural event a reality.
The conference is scheduled for the day before the three-day Genealogy Jamboree, which goes from Friday the 7th through Sunday the 9th.
The Family History and DNA conference is already 85 percent sold out, said CeCe. Beyond the great lineup of speakers, the conference comes just as the use of DNA to learn more about ancestry is becoming more and more a part of the zeitgeist, she said.
“My experience leads me to believe that we are on the brink of widespread interest in and acceptance of personal genomics,” said CeCe.
Some of that interest is because of the work of Prof. Gates and his popular television show<a href="https://www.pbs.org/wnet/finding-your-roots/"> Finding Your Roots</a>, Dr. Wells’ Genographic Project, and the many stories coming out of 23andMe about people <a href="https://www.23andme.com/stories/2/">who made surprising discoveries</a> about their family history using genetic testing.
All of that has helped open “the public&#8217;s eyes to what can be discovered from DNA testing,” CeCe said. “With the information age upon us, it is simply astounding what we can learn about ourselves and our family history.&#8221;
If you’re interested in going sign up now, tickets are going fast.

A Day For Family History And DNA

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-8490" alt="" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/mammogramblog.jpg" width="300" height="199">
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html?ref=health">Angelina Jolie’s revelation</a> in the New York Times today that she had a double mastectomy after learning about her genetic risk for breast cancer focused attention on the difficult dilemma faced by many women in similar circumstances.
Jolie said she decided to write about her case to help other women.
&#8220;I chose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know they have strong options,&#8221; she wrote.
The revelation has also prompted some of our customers to ask about what 23andMe reports concerning breast cancer.
First 23andMe’s test is not diagnostic. Our report on BRCA1 and BRCA2 looks at only three mutations in those two genes associated with breast cancer.
Finally, we inform customers that the absence of the mutations does not rule out the possibility that they may carry another cancer-causing variation in one of those genes.

Talking About Breast Cancer Risk

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-18173 size-full" title="Anxiety Treatments" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Anxiety-Treatments.jpg" alt="" width="1632" height="1071" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Anxiety-Treatments.jpg 1632w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Anxiety-Treatments-300x197.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Anxiety-Treatments-768x504.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Anxiety-Treatments-1024x672.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Anxiety-Treatments-880x578.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Anxiety-Treatments-1180x774.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1632px) 100vw, 1632px" /> For the live-updated, fully-labelled, interactive version of this graphic, <a href="http://curetogether.com/anxiety/ig/treatment-effectiveness-vs-popularity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">click here</a>.
By Alexandra Carmichael, Co-Founder of CureTogether
Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 18 percent of the U.S. population. According to a new study by CureTogether, the most effective treatments for anxiety reported by patients themselves  include exercise, yoga and and being with animals.  CureTogether is 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 exercising, spending time outdoors, and inspiring music were effective treatments, as were the drugs Xanax and Ativan. Conversely those in the study said some drugs like Amitriptyline, Paxil, and Wellbutrin were among the least effective. These are all treatments suggested and reported by patients, so some redundancy in the terms used is to be expected. In addition, the term “treatment” in this study refers to anything patients describe using to help them feel better whether it is an officially prescribed medical treatment or not.

<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 200px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
Most Effective Rated Treatments for People with Anxiety 
1. Exercise 
2. Yoga 
3. Xanax 
4. Spend time with animals 
5. Spend time outdoors 
6. Cognitive Behavior Therapy 
7. Meditation 
8. Ativan 
9. Clonazepam 
10. Inspiring music
</div>
Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only about one-third of those suffering receive treatment, according to Anxiety and Depression Disorders of America. In addition, anxiety disorders cost the U.S. more than $42 billion a year, so CureTogether asked people suffering from anxiety to rate the effectiveness of different treatments in an effort to help raise awareness. CureTogether’s study compiled responses from 10,980 people with anxiety, who rated the effectiveness of 95 different treatments.
Where did this data come from? This is the result of a four-year CureTogether study on <a href="http://curetogether.com/anxiety/symptoms/">Anxiety</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 anxiety 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 anxiety. Thank you!

Alexandra Carmichael

What Patients Say Works for Anxiety

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-18189" title="DVelasco" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DVelasco.jpg" alt="" width="628" height="418" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DVelasco.jpg 628w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DVelasco-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 628px) 100vw, 628px" />
On her 105th birthday, Dominguita Velasco danced so long that her worried family asked her to sit down.
When she turned 111, she had a party with friends and family and blew out the blaze of candles on her cake.
Never far from her daughter, grandson and great grandchildren and always involved in her Oakland neighborhood, Dominguita says the secret to her long life has been to “stay happy.”
Her great granddaughter thinks it might be something else as well.
“I don’t know but I think it’s genetic,” said Erika LaTour. “Her mother lived to 102.”
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-18191 size-full" title="Tita_with_hat,velvetCap,FlapperDress,1929" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Tita_with_hatvelvetCapFlapperDress1929.jpg" alt="" width="213" height="350" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Tita_with_hatvelvetCapFlapperDress1929.jpg 213w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Tita_with_hatvelvetCapFlapperDress1929-183x300.jpg 183w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 213px) 100vw, 213px" />
A long-time customer of 23andMe, Erika recently signed up her great-grandmother for the service.
The two wanted to delve into the genetics of both Dominguita’s interesting ancestry – she’s from Mexico and has a mix of Native American, Southern European, Sephardic, and a little Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry  – and the traits that may have contributed to her long and healthy life.
“She’s really just had some issues with high blood pressure but doesn’t really take any medication,” Erika said.
Although Dominguita has had some issues with her heart, her hearing, and glaucoma, she’s never felt burdened by them. Or, as she says, “I don’t have any pain.”
On Mother’s Day – May 12th—Dominguita will turn 112, making her the 28th oldest “validated living supercentenarian” in the world, according to Gerontology Research Group. 23andMe would like to wish her a happy birthday, and you can sign a card for her here or simply post your wishes on Twitter or 23andMe&#8217;s <a href="https://www.facebook.com/23andMe">Facebook</a> page.
<h2 dir="ltr">Supercentarian</h2>
A “supercentenarian” is anyone who lives to be more than 110. Of the more than a quarter of a million people genotyped by 23andMe, about 100 are over the century mark, but none are as supercentenarian as Dominguita.
While average life expectancy continues to rise, the reasons why some people live long and healthy lives—even working into their 90s and beyond—and others don’t are still not known. There are some intriguing possibilities.
One genetic link to longevity that appears to be pretty strong is the APOE gene, better known for its association with Alzheimer’s disease. In particular, while people with Alzheimer’s are more likely to have a version of the APOE gene known as e4, long-lived individuals are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23286790">less likely</a> to have the e4 version. Similarly, the e2 version of the APOE gene is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23040522">associated</a> with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s and higher odds of being long-lived.
Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Institute for Aging Research are focused on Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry and a few genetic variants in two genes – CEPT and APOC3 – that protect against certain conditions. A different variant in APOC3 among Amish people is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19074352">associated</a> with lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol. Meanwhile, another study identified variants in the FOXO3a gene that may protect against certain cancers and heart disease in people of Japanese ancestry. National Geographic recently included a graphic illustrating the studies.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-18193 size-medium" title="Tita and Erika 2012 holding hands" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Tita-and-Erika-2012-holding-hands-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Tita-and-Erika-2012-holding-hands-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Tita-and-Erika-2012-holding-hands.jpg 628w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<h2 dir="ltr">The Secret to a Long Life</h2>
However intriguing all of this is, no one has yet found the secret to a long life. Some of it is clearly genetic, but lifestyle and diet almost certainly play a significant role. On the Greek<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/the-island-where-people-forget-to-die.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0"> Island of Ikaria</a>, a wonderful mix of diet, genes, and a relaxed and straightforward daily life seems to be particularly conducive to a long life.
And in Dominguita’s case, she may have benefited from all of those things. Her philosophy of staying happy, her genes, and her active life may all have helped her live a long life. A fixture in the local lore of Oakland, California, where she has lived since the early 1920s. Dominguita has by no means escaped hardship. She lost her husband and a daughter to tuberculosis and scraped and saved to raise her surviving daughter. She also had to work hard to keep her family restaurant afloat. But she did it all while remaining active in her community and surrounding herself with family.
Happy Birthday Dominguita, your life inspires us all.

Latest Posts — Page 137