Simply saying one has German ancestry doesn&#8217;t capture how diverse the cultural, linguistic, and historical differences are within the country of more than 80 million people.



Germany has over 16 administrative districts and at least a dozen distinct dialects. Someone from the North along the Baltic Sea who speaks what is called Plattdeutsch might have difficulty understanding someone from part of Bavaria who speaks Schwäbisch, for instance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-distinct-populations">Distinct Populations</h2>



Beyond Germany, there are also distinct populations within Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, Luxembourg, and France with Germanic ethnolinguistic roots. 



To better reflect those differences and improve the granularity of 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service, 23andMe added 49 different genetic populations in Germanic Europe. Those include 20 in Germany, 10 in Switzerland, eight in the Netherlands, 10 in Austria, and one in Luxembourg. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="797" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-Germanic-Grojups-1024x797.png" alt="A map of the area around Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavarian Swabia that is part of the Ancestry Composition for people with Germanic ancestry from that area." class="wp-image-33143" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-Germanic-Grojups-1024x797.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-Germanic-Grojups-300x233.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-Germanic-Grojups-768x598.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-Germanic-Grojups-880x685.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-Germanic-Grojups-1180x918.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-Germanic-Grojups.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Example results of a customer with matches to new Germanic Genetic Groups.



This update closely follows the recent addition of 36 Genetic Groups in France and Belgium, offering those with roots that trace back to these regions of Europe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-germanic-europe">Germanic Europe</h2>



To better understand this Germanic Europe update, it&#8217;s helpful to understand the origins of modern-day Germanic peoples of Western Europe. They are descended from ancient Alpine-Celtic and Germanic populations and inhabit an area extending from the Netherlands to Austria—roughly corresponding to the extent of<a href="https://www.dhm.de/en/exhibitions/permanent-exhibition/middle-ages/"> Charlemagne&#8217;s Frankish Kingdom</a> in the Middle Ages.



Genetically and geographically, Germanic peoples are at the heart of Europe.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="936" height="396" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FrenchGerman-Ancestry-Comp-Map-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-33142" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FrenchGerman-Ancestry-Comp-Map-1.jpg 936w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FrenchGerman-Ancestry-Comp-Map-1-300x127.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FrenchGerman-Ancestry-Comp-Map-1-768x325.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FrenchGerman-Ancestry-Comp-Map-1-880x372.jpg 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 936px) 100vw, 936px" /></figure>



Map showing the ancient, broad ethnic groups that influenced modern Germanic ancestry.



Germanic people have lived at a crossroads in human migration for millennia, and their genetics reflect that history. Celtic languages and culture first appeared in Central Europe, extending from the British Isles to the Black Sea by the Third century BCE. However, the rise of the Roman Empire spelled the downfall of a Celtic-speaking Europe, and today, Celtic languages are only spoken along the far western periphery of their former territory.



With the decline of the Western Roman Empire, Germanic tribes conquered vast territories from the North Sea to North Africa. Although Germanic languages did not replace the Latin-based languages spoken in what is now France and Belgium, recent studies found evidence that the migrations of Germanic peoples from the 4th to the 6th centuries had a more significant impact on Europe&#8217;s DNA than did the earlier expansion of the Roman Empire.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancestry-composition-update">Ancestry Composition update</h2>



The update is part of our continuing work to improve 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service reports and features. This new update allows customers with ancestry tracing to one of these countries to see their genetic connections to these communities.&nbsp;



23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Composition report is a living analysis that improves as we add new reference data. Underlying our Ancestry reports are powerful algorithms and analytical tools developed by 23andMe population geneticists and engineers to offer our customers more insights into their ancestral origins.



Over the last few years, we&#8217;ve updated results to allow our customers to see more detail about their connections to specific geographic regions that correspond to cultural and linguistic regions.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-find-out-more">Find out more</h2>



23andMe customers can see their<a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition_hd/"> Ancestry Composition</a>.&nbsp;



Not yet a customer? Find out more about<a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/"> 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service and other services</a>.



Regions in Germanic Europe covered in this update



Below is the list of 23andMe&#8217;s 49 Germanic Genetic Groups:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-germany">Germany</h2>



Eastern Bavarian Highlands &#8211; People from southeastern Germany, particularly near the Thuringian and Bohemian Forest, extend down to the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. For centuries, the Bohemian Forest acted as a natural border between Bavaria and Bohemia (now Czechia, or the Czech Republic), which helped shape the distinct cultural identities of these regions. Some people in this Genetic Group say their recent ancestors spoke Bavarian or Eastern Franconian, distinct German dialects standard in southern and northern Bavaria.



Southeastern Bavaria&#8211;&nbsp; People from southeastern Germany, particularly around the Isar and Danube Rivers, between the Bavarian Alps and the Bohemian Forest.



Upper and Middle Franconia —This genetic group includes people from east-central Germany, mainly Upper and Middle Franconia. However, some report ancestors from the foothills of the Fichtel and Ore Mountains further east.



Lower Franconia &#8211; People from central Germany, particularly in Lower Franconia near the foothills of the Rhön Mountains.



Saxony and the Thuringian Basin &#8211; People from eastern and central Germany, particularly between the Harz and Ore Mountains.



Baden-Württemberg and Bavarian Swabia &#8211; People from southwestern Germany, ranging from the Rhine River valley to the Black Forest to the Swabian Alps. Many people in this Genetic Group say their recent ancestors spoke Swabian, a distinct German dialect known for its unique vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar. 



Greater Allgäu &#8211; People from south central Germany between Lake Constance, the headwaters of the Danube River, and the Lech River.



Black Forest &#8211; People from southwest Germany in and around the Black Forest.



Central Swabia &#8211; People from central Swabia, mainly north of the Swabian Jura mountain range in Baden-Württemberg. Historically, this region was influenced by ancient kingdoms such as the Alemanni (part of the Suebi Germanic peoples, from which the region gets its name) and later the Duchy of Swabia, which have left a lasting imprint on its cultural landscape.&nbsp;



Main River Basin &#8211; People from the center of Germany, along or near the course of the Main River, from northwestern Bavaria to its confluence with the Rhine River near Mainz.



Rhine-Main region &#8211; People from southwestern Germany, particularly from the Rhine-Main metropolitan region, centered around the confluence of the Rhine and Main rivers near the foothills of the Rhön Mountains.



Eastern German Plains &#8211; People from the eastern plains of Germany, ranging from the Harz Mountains in the southwest to Poland and the Baltic Sea in the east and northeast.



Rhineland &#8211; People from western Germany, particularly on the west side of the Rhine River, a region historically referred to as the Rhineland or Rhinelands.



Rhine-Ruhr Region &#8211; People from central west Germany, particularly near Cologne (Köln), Düsseldorf, and the &#8220;Ruhrgebiet&#8221; — a large urban region that includes Dortmund, Essen, and Duisburg, among other cities.



The Ruhrgebiet, Teutoburg Forest and the Westphalian Highlands &#8211; People from the Sauerland and Siegerland regions of the Westphalian highlands, the Teutoburg Forest in eastern Westphalia, and the &#8220;Ruhrgebiet&#8221; — a densely populated urban zone encompassing cities such as Dortmund and Essen.



Northwestern German Plain &#8211; People from the northwestern plains of Germany, spanning parts of the western portions of Lower Saxony and North-Rhine Westphalia, roughly between the Ems River in the west and the Weser River in the east.



Northern Germany &#8211; People from northern Germany, particularly the southern part of the Jutland Peninsula and around the Elbe and Weser Rivers.



Elbe-Weser Triangle &#8211; People from northwestern Germany, particularly from Bremen and the Elbe-Weser Triangle — a region between the Elbe and Weser Rivers near the North Sea.



German Jutland &#8211; People from the southern part of the Jutland Peninsula, particularly north of the Elbe River. This region was long disputed between Denmark and Germany.&nbsp;



Westphalian Lowlands &#8211; People from the Westphalian Lowlands of western Germany, north of the Rothaar Mountains.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-luxembourg">Luxembourg</h2>



Guttland &#8211; People from Guttland or Bon Pays (&#8220;Good Land&#8221;) – Luxembourg&#8217;s southern and central region, nestled between France and Belgium to the south and west and the Moselle River and Germany to the east. Guttland contains most of the country&#8217;s population and is the economic powerhouse of Luxembourg.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-switzerland">Switzerland</h2>



Bernese Alps and Central Swiss Plateau &#8211; People from the central region of the Swiss Plateau, including the canton of Bern. Known as the Mittelland, the Swiss plateau stretches from the southern slopes of the Jura mountains to the northern tip of the Berner Oberland (or Bernese Highlands), which is home to the breathtaking waterfalls of Lauterbrunnen Valley and the highest peaks in the Bern canton, including the iconic trio of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau.



Northeastern Aare Basin &#8211; People from the northeastern portion of the Aare River basin, centered on the present-day Swiss canton of Aargau (meaning &#8220;Aare province&#8221;) and extending toward Zürich to the west.



Eastern Jura Mountains &#8211; People from the eastern region of the Jura Mountains — where the borders of Switzerland, France, and Germany meet — including the present-day Swiss city of Basel.



Ticino and Grisons &#8211; People from the Italian- and Romansh-speaking regions of Switzerland and northern Italy — particularly the southeastern cantons of Ticino and Grisons — although some also report ancestors in the northwest Swiss canton of Jura.



Limmat Valley and Schaffhausen &#8211; People from Zürich and the surrounding Limmat River Valley, as well as from the northern Swiss canton of Schaffhausen.



Lucerne, Kleine Emme Valley, and Seetal &#8211; People from central Switzerland, particularly the canton of Lucerne.



Muota Valley &#8211; People from the Alpine foothills that surround Lake Lucerne, including the Muota Valley (Muotathal) and extend into the modern-day cantons of Zug, Schwyz, Uri, Nidwalden, and Obwalden.



Pennine Alps &#8211; People from the foothills of the Pennine Alps in southern Romandie (French-speaking western Switzerland), in the modern Swiss canton of Valais, situated on the border with France and Italy.



Thur Valley and Appenzell &#8211; People from the Thur Valley in northeastern Switzerland, stretching from Walensee (Lake Walen) at the southern border of St. Gallen canton to Bodensee (Lake Constance) along the northern Swiss border and extending into neighboring Austria, Lichtenstein, and Germany.



Western Swiss Plateau &#8211; People from the western Swiss Plateau, centered on Vaud canton in the French-speaking Romandie region of western Switzerland and stretching from Lac de Neuchâtel in the north to Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) in the south.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-netherlands">The Netherlands</h2>



Utrecht and Gelderland — People from the central Netherlands, from Arnhem in the east to Amsterdam in the west, with Utrecht at its heart. Connected by a section of the lower Rhine and the Amsterdam-Rhine canal (the world&#8217;s most heavily trafficked artificial waterway), this region includes the northeastern edge of the Randstad — a densely populated crescent-shaped urban belt — and parts of western Gelderland.&nbsp;



Friesland and western Groningen — People from Friesland span from the Ijsselmeer (Lake IJssel) to western Groningen in the northern Netherlands. Frisian, a West Germanic language natively spoken by most of this region&#8217;s population, is closely related to English and is recognized as an official language in the Netherlands alongside Dutch.



Zuidvleugel and Groene Hart—People from Groene Hart and the neighboring Zuidvleugel—the &#8220;south wing&#8221; of a region known as the Randstad, a densely populated, crescent-shaped urban belt spanning from Rotterdam to Amsterdam and beyond in the western Netherlands.



Groningen and northern Drenthe — People from Groningen and northern Drenthe in the northeastern Netherlands, spanning parts of the ancient Germanic Frisian and Frankish Kingdoms. Notably, this region is home to almost all of the Netherlands&#8217; megalithic archaeological sites, in particular the &lt;i&gt;hunebedden&lt;/i&gt; or dolmens — large burial monuments composed of massive boulders that were constructed by the Funnelbeaker people who lived here around 5,000 years ago.



Noord-Brabant and Limburg &#8211; People from the Dutch states of Limburg and Noord-Brabant in the southeastern Netherlands, south of the Netherlands&#8217; three major rivers (the Maas, Waal, and Rhine). Researchers have found a distinct genetic border roughly separating Noord-Brabant and Limburg from the rest of the Netherlands.



North Holland Peninsula &#8211; People from the North Holland peninsula, primarily between Haarlem and Amsterdam in the south to Den Helder in the north.



Central East Netherlands &#8211; People from Overijssel, southern Drenthe, and northern Gelderland in the eastern Netherlands.



Zeeland and South Holland &#8211; People from Zeeland and parts of South Holland near the Rhine-Meuse and Scheldt deltas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-austria-amp-germanic-peoples-in-slovenia">Austria &amp; Germanic Peoples in Slovenia</h2>



Greater Güssing — People from southern Burgenland along Austria&#8217;s border with Hungary, particularly the town of Güssing.



Carnic and Gailtal Alps — People from southern Austria, centered on the Carnic and Gailtal Alps along the border with Italy and stretching east into the Karawanks along the border with Slovenia, in what is now the Austrian state of Carinthia (Kärnten).



Oberösterreich and the Danube Valley &#8211; People from northern Austria, stretching from the western border with Germany through the modern state of Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) and encompassing parts of the Danube River valley.



Eastern Austrian plains—People from the eastern plains of Austria, including parts of the modern-day states of Lower Austria, Vienna, Burgenland, and Styria. This region stretches from Vienna—Austria&#8217;s culturally vibrant capital city—to Graz, Austria&#8217;s second-largest city, situated along the Mur River in Styria.



Western Austrian Alps &#8211; People from western Austria, stretching from Lichtenstein and eastern Switzerland through the Austrian states of Vorarlberg and Tyrol.



Karawanks &#8211; People from southern Austria and northern Slovenia, centered on the Karawanks and the southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt am Wörthersee.



Ljubljana Basin &#8211; People from the Ljubljana Basin in central Slovenia.



Mur Valley and Salzburg—People from central Austria centered on the Mur Valley in Styria, stretching from Salzburg near the border with Germany to Wolfsburg in the south.



Rinza Valley &#8211; People from southern Slovenia and northern Croatia, especially the Rinza Valley, including the Slovenian town of Ko?evje.Vienna and Northeast Austria &#8211; People from northeastern Austria, extending from Vienna west into Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) and south into the Mürz River Valley.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Germanic Europe Genetic Groups

People love coffee, which is partially explained by genetics, but you’d be forgiven for being less sure if your daily cup of joe is good for you.



Researchers have been wrestling with that question for years, studying the genetics associated with coffee consumption.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wired">Wired</h2>



People are <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/coffee-tea-and-23andme">genetically wired </a>to react differently to their morning coffee. Your genetics affect how you metabolize caffeine and your bitter taste perception, and both are associated with how much coffee you consume. Genetic differences can explain why some people can chug a Venti without problem, while a few sips are enough to perk up someone else all day long.



There are health implications for all this, but those are less clear-cut, and the data cuts both ways.



A recent study led by researchers at UC San Diego and Western University in Ontario, Canada, illustrates how complicated it is to understand the health outcomes of coffee consumption. The study found clear genetic associations with drinking coffee, but the same study found conflicting data around health outcomes. However, those divergent findings may say more about differences in culture or coffee culture than anything else.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-outcomes">Health Outcomes</h2>



The study, published in the journal<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-024-01870-x"> Neuropsychopharmacology</a>, used data from two sources: a cohort of about 330,000 people in the UK Biobank and another data set from about 130,000 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research.



“We used this data to identify regions on the genome associated with whether somebody is more or less likely to consume coffee, and then identify the genes and biology that could underlie coffee intake,” said Hayley Thorpe, the lead researcher on the study and a postdoctoral researcher at Western’s Schulich Medicine &amp; Dentistry.



The data confirmed seven previously known genetic associations with coffee consumption. Some shared health outcomes were also found in both cohorts, but what was striking was where the health outcome data diverged. More than 80 percent of the outcomes were positive within the 23andMe data set, whereas only about 54 percent of the health outcomes were positive within the UK Biobank data set.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coffee-culture">Coffee Culture</h2>



Pierre Fontanillas, a senior scientist of statistical genetics at 23andMe and one of the study&#8217;s lead researchers, said the stark differences in the health outcomes in the two datasets may be more related to the differences in the coffee culture between the UK and the United States.



“Your genetics influences your coffee consumption, but there are other factors, like culture and environment,” Pierre said.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Although the research participants from the UK Biobank and 23andMe have a lot in common, there are differences between the two groups that highlight just how complicated this kind of research can be. For instance, in the United States, serving sizes tend to be larger than in the UK. In addition, people in the US are more likely to add sweeteners or frothed milk to their coffee drinks, and they are more likely to augment their caffeine consumption with caffeinated sodas. Instant coffee is more common in the UK, serving sizes are small, and coffee drinkers may also increase their caffeine consumption with tea.



“That could explain some of those differences,” Pierre said.



While there were differences in health outcomes, health outcomes were also shared within both cohorts. Both showed genetic associations between coffee and harmful health outcomes such as obesity and substance use, for instance.



However, the two cohorts diverged when looking at other health and psychiatric traits.



“Look at the genetics of anxiety, for instance, or bipolar and depression,” said Thorpe at Western University. “In the 23andMe data set, they tend to be positively genetically correlated with coffee intake genetics. But then, in the UK Biobank, you see the opposite pattern, where they’re negatively genetically correlated. This is not what we expected.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learn-more">Learn More</h2>



23andMe’s<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/"> Health + Ancestry Service</a> can help you learn about genetic factors that may be involved. Order a kit, send us your spit, and find out what your genetics <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/happy-international-coffee-day">predict about your caffeine consumption </a>level.

The Genetics Behind Your Morning Cup of Coffee

Editor&#8217;s note 7/8/2024: This post has been updated since 2020. In addition, We do not support uploading DNA data obtained from other testing services to 23andMe. This article explains the risks of uploading your DNA data to third party services.
With all of <a class="waffle-rich-text-link" href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">23andMe&#8217;s services</a>, you’re in charge of your genetic data. That means we let you decide what information you want to learn and what information you want to share. However, you need to be informed about the risks of sharing your genetic data with other services. This includes understanding the implications if you decide to upload DNA to 23andMe or any third-party service.
After receiving <a class="waffle-rich-text-link" href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-reports-list/">personalized genetic reports</a> from 23andMe, customers can choose to download their raw DNA data. Some customers may do this to upload their data to third-party services, which offer to interpret their raw DNA data to find new genetic relatives or get additional genetic reports. However, 23andMe cannot vouch for the scientific validity or accuracy, or clarity in communication of results of any such third-party services. In fact, only 23andMe offers a consumer genetic test with health reports that have FDA&#8217;s independent assurance of validity and clear results (without requiring a prescription).
Beyond concerns about scientific validity, uploading your raw DNA data to a third-party service can also put <a href="https://www.23andme.com/privacy/">your data privacy</a> at risk. In part, this is why 23andMe provides important warnings to its customers before they choose to download.
<h2>What are some of the risks of uploading your DNA data to a third-party website? </h2>
<div id="attachment_27862" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/how-to-be-careful-with-your-raw-dna-data/what-is-dna-upload" rel="attachment wp-att-27862"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27862" class="size-medium wp-image-27862" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/What-is-DNA-Upload-300x128.jpg" alt="An illustration of the steps for downloading data." width="300" height="128" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/What-is-DNA-Upload-300x128.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/What-is-DNA-Upload.jpg 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>Most consumer genetics companies, including 23andMe, allow you to download your own raw DNA data. At that point, the customer is free to do what they like with their raw DNA data, such as deciding to upload that raw DNA data to third-party services.</div>
At 23andMe, we’re clear with our users about the risks of using third-party services that provide additional health, wellness or trait insights. This is because only select genotype data used specifically in our Health reports have been individually validated for accuracy. While the rest of your data has undergone a general quality review, it has not been validated to the extent of the data underlying our official 23andMe reports. As a result, raw DNA data should not be used for medical purposes and we do not recommend the use of third-party services that claim to interpret raw DNA data to provide health information.
Consumers also cite concerns about law enforcement uploading crime-scene DNA data to third-party services to crack a cold case. Simply put, uploading crime-scene DNA data into the 23andMe environment is not possible because we do not support the upload of DNA data that has been processed by a third-party laboratory.
Further, 23andMe’s <a href="https://www.23andme.com/transparency-report/">Transparency Report</a> details our policy against releasing customer’s individual DNA data to any third party &#8211; including law enforcement &#8211; without receiving the customer’s explicit consent, unless required by law.
However, this concern about law enforcement upload of crime scene DNA data is a real one that we warn customers about should they choose to upload their DNA data to other third party platforms, including public genealogy services or other third party services that facilitate DNA data upload.
But there’s another form of vulnerability that’s less well-understood: Within databases that allow for raw DNA data uploads with access to relative matching features, people with malicious intent can upload real or fake “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_horse_(computing)">Trojan Horse</a>” genetic profiles for access to your personal identifying information. They could even infer your specific DNA variants—such as information about any disease risk variants you might carry. This is one reason why we don&#8217;t support uploading DNA to 23andMe.
<h2>How can that happen?</h2>
<ul>
<li>Many relative-matching services allow you to see the exact section or sections of DNA you share with each relative.*</li>
<li>If uploading DNA data is allowed, it means you no longer know for sure that your relative’s profile is actually controlled by your relative, and a malicious actor could upload real or fake DNA data to deduce information about you based on sections of matching DNA, including any disease risk variants you might have.</li>
<li>Even if shared segments aren’t shown, there are still ways that people with malicious intent can deduce some of your DNA variants.</li>
</ul>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-27863 alignright" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/How-Uploading-Creates-Risk-300x202.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="202" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/How-Uploading-Creates-Risk-300x202.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/How-Uploading-Creates-Risk.jpg 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
This vulnerability was recently described in two reports: one at the University of Washington and another at the University of California, Davis. The authors of these reports explain several ways an “adversary” can deduce people&#8217;s genotypes “either at key positions or at many sites genome-wide” in databases that allow DNA data uploads with relative matching. This highlights the risks associated with uploading DNA to 23andMe or similar services.
Both reports outline specific ways for services to mitigate risk, such as limiting the information displayed in relative-matching features.
While these practices may reduce risk, we believe the simplest and most effective defense is to not allow individuals genotyped through other testing services to upload their DNA data to 23andMe for the purpose of discovering genetic relatives.
In the past, 23andMe has allowed DNA uploads from other consumer genetic testing services in very specific circumstances. Specifically, on DNA Day in April 2018, 23andMe allowed individuals who tested at other companies to upload their results to access a subset of our trait reports, but 23andMe has not enabled the discovery of new relatives for these accounts.
<h2>How does 23andMe ensure that only real, consenting individuals participate in our service? </h2>
In a word, spit.
When you spit into the tube, you’re embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. You’re also trusting 23andMe with some of your most personal information.
Requiring a saliva sample is how 23andMe is able to verify that you’re a real person who chose to participate in the service. While it might be easy to upload fake DNA data, it’s another matter entirely to fake a spit sample, which requires filling a tube with more than two milliliters of spit. It’s how you know that “Linda-your-4th-cousin-who-you-didn’t-know-existed” is a real person who chose to do 23andMe. Linda had to spit in a tube, too.
<h2>What are some key questions you should ask?</h2>
When considering whether or not to upload your raw DNA data to another website, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with their privacy and security policies before you upload your raw DNA data.
Make sure to consider the following questions:
<ol>
<li>Before you upload your DNA data, ask yourself: do I really need to do this? Am I willing to risk the security and privacy of my DNA data by uploading it to a third-party service?</li>
<li>Do your research! Does the third-party service have a track record of strong privacy and data security?</li>
<li>How will the third-party service use your information?  How can your information be further shared with other third parties?</li>
<li>If you are not interested in discovering new relatives but you want additional DNA insights, does the other service explicitly exclude features relating to discovering genetic relatives?</li>
</ol>
An earlier article detailing our stance on protecting customers’ data is available <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/our-stance-on-protecting-customers-data/">here</a>. 
<h2>Learn More</h2>
Find out if your <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/genetic-health/">genetics</a> might Increase your risk for any health conditions with 23andMe.
You can also Learn more about common risks associated with uploading raw DNA online and how to protect your DNA information.
*By default, 23andMe does not display your ancestry information or DNA segment information to relatives or connections until you decide to share it with them.

Can You Upload DNA Data to 23andMe? 

(Editor&#8217;s note 7/8/2024: This post has been edited and updated since it first posted in 2019.) This new <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">ancestry breakdown</a> in Central and South Asia is currently available to customers on the latest version of our genotyping platform who are signed up for our Beta Program. This update significantly advances Asian DNA testing, offering more detailed and accurate results. 
South Asian people represent around a quarter of the world’s population but are severely underrepresented in global genetic studies. This makes it difficult for companies like 23andMe to build granular genetic ancestry prediction models for their South Asian customers. However, thanks to ongoing feedback from 23andMe customers with South Asian ancestry and outreach efforts such as our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/global-genetics/">Global Genetics Project</a>, we are now testing an extensive update to our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry">Ancestry Composition</a> feature that dramatically improves results for customers with Central and South Asian ancestry.
If you have genetic ancestry from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, or Nepal, your 23andMe <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">Ancestry Composition</a> results may have looked something like this:
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-26955 size-large" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.48-AM-1024x432.png" alt="23andMe Ancestry Composition Update - Map of Central and South Asia" width="1024" height="432" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.48-AM-1024x432.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.48-AM-300x127.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.48-AM-768x324.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.48-AM-880x371.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.48-AM-1180x498.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
But now, 23andMe’s updated Ancestry Composition report (currently in beta testing with customers)  breaks down Central &amp; South Asia into seven populations:
<ol>
<li>Central Asian (Afghan, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Pashtun, Pakistani from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Tajik, Uzbek, Turkmen)</li>
<li>Bangladeshi &amp; Northeast Indian (Assamese, Bangladeshi)</li>
<li>Central &amp; Southern Indian (name of group TBD)</li>
<li>Gujarati Patel</li>
<li>Kannadiga, Tamil, Telugu &amp; Sri Lankan</li>
<li>Malayali</li>
<li>North Indian &amp; South Pakistani (Bihari, Burusho, Chhattisgarhi, Goan, Gujarati, Haryanvi, Kashmiri, Madhya Pradeshi, Maharashtrian, Odia, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Sindhi, Uttarakhandi, Uttar Pradeshi).</li>
</ol>
Here is a sample report with updated results. This individual has ancestry from three of the seven populations highlighted on the map.
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-26954 size-large" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.04-AM-1024x589.png" alt="23andMe Genetic Clustering Techniques for Central and South Asia" width="1024" height="589" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.04-AM-1024x589.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.04-AM-300x173.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.04-AM-768x442.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.04-AM-880x506.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.04-AM-1180x679.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></h6>
<h2>How did we identify these new genetic regions in Central &amp; South Asia?</h2>
The first step toward increasing the granularity of Ancestry Composition in Central &amp; South Asia and enhancing the precision of our Asian ancestry test was to build a reference dataset from populations within the regions.
We started with publicly available datasets, including the 1000 Genomes Project (Bangladeshis, Gujaratis, Punjabis, Tamils, and Telugu-speakers) and the Human Genome Diversity Project (Burusho and Sindhi). Next, we added research-consented customers who reported that all four of their grandparents were from a country in Central or South Asia. This effort significantly enhances the accuracy of Asian DNA testing by expanding the reference panel used in Ancestry Composition. Previously, the panel included 1,022 South Asian individuals, but this update more than doubles the size of the panel to 2,696, of which 2,164 are 23andMe customers.
After assembling this group of Central and South Asian individuals, we used genetic clustering techniques to identify distinguishable populations. These techniques allow us to generate two-dimensional plots wherein each individual is represented by a single point. Points corresponding to individuals who are genetically similar to one another generally appear close to one another in these plots, forming clouds, or “clusters,” of points.
To figure out which individuals defined each cluster, we colored each data point by the locations, ethnicities, or languages of their ancestors.
Sometimes, a cluster’s label is pretty easy to figure out: for example, here’s an older scatter plot of our European reference individuals (you can find the whole plot with a legend in our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/ancestry-composition-guide/">Ancestry Composition Guide</a>), in which we observed that Sardinians form a distinct genetic cluster. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-26952 size-large" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-12.53.17-PM-1024x739.png" alt="23andMe Genetic Clusters - Scatter Plot of Central and South Asian Populations" width="1024" height="739" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-12.53.17-PM-1024x739.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-12.53.17-PM-300x217.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-12.53.17-PM-768x555.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-12.53.17-PM-880x635.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-12.53.17-PM-1180x852.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-12.53.17-PM.png 1986w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<h2>What about Population Clusters in Central &amp; South Asia?</h2>
In a <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/423632v1">recent study</a>, the authors of a group at McGill University in Montreal identified distinct genetic clusters in South Asia.
In this figure (modified from reference 1), we have removed populations from other world regions for clarity. Note that there are two distinct clusters composed of people who say their ancestors were born in Gujarat. Who are these Gujaratis? And what makes them different from other Gujaratis?
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-26953 size-large" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-4.51.08-PM-1024x670.png" alt="23andMe Genetic Clusters - Scatter Plot of Central and South Asian Populations" width="1024" height="670" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-4.51.08-PM-1024x670.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-4.51.08-PM-300x196.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-4.51.08-PM-768x503.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-4.51.08-PM-880x576.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-4.51.08-PM-1180x772.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-4.51.08-PM.png 1375w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
23andMe also identified this distinct group of Gujaratis. Through further analyses, surveys, and confirmation from Beta testers, we determined that most individuals have the last name Patel. The Patels of Gujarat are a large community from western India that primarily descends from agricultural and merchant classes. (The name “Patel” is derived from the name “Patidar,” which means “landowner.”)
One reason this group might be so different from other populations in Gujarat is that a distinctive genetic heritage developed over the centuries as Patels favored marriage within their community. The practice of marrying within a small cultural, religious, or otherwise closely-knit community is called “endogamy,” and distinct genetic populations that form as the result of endogamy are found all around the world (including French Canadian, Armenian, and Ashkenazi Jewish populations among many others).
<h2>What else did we find?</h2>
Another cluster we identified comprises people from Kerala—the southwestern-most state on the Indian mainland. These individuals were genetically distinguishable from the residents of neighboring states in southern India, like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Other groups, like “Central Asian,” “North Indian &amp; Pakistani,” “Bangladeshi &amp; Northeast Indian,” and “Kannadiga, Telugu, Tamil &amp; Sri Lankan,” were more geographically broad. Still, individual customers may be able to see additional granularity in their <a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition/broadly_south_asian/">Ancestry Detail Reports</a> (see sample report, below, of a customer with known ancestry from Karnataka).
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-26951 aligncenter" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/AC-39-Sample-Report.png" alt="" width="650" height="338" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/AC-39-Sample-Report.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/AC-39-Sample-Report-300x156.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" />Finally, there’s a group we’re calling “Central &amp; Southern Indian.” We know they’re genetically distinct, and we have a hypothesis about what makes them distinct. Still, we need our customers’ help to learn more about how people with this genetic ancestry might identify. That’s why our Beta testers’ feedback is so important to us. Your feedback helps us identify solutions, enact them, and make 23andMe features even better for all customers.
It is important to remember that people with ancestry from regions where these populations overlap may see population mixtures in their results. For example, many people from Afghanistan have a combination of “Central Asian,” “North Indian &amp; Pakistani,” and “Western Asian” DNA based on the reference populations chosen for this analysis.
We hope that some of these new genetic populations are now easier to interpret and that you learned something fun about genetic analysis along the way.
At the end of the day, identity is determined by many things, and each customer’s experience is unique when they explore their Ancestry Composition results. With this in mind, we invite you to share your thoughts with us, either through the feedback survey in the Central &amp; South Asian Beta report, or by commenting on the forums.
<h2>Reference:</h2>
<ol>
<li>Diaz-Papkovich A et al. (2018). “Revealing multi-scale population structure in large cohorts.” bioRxiv preprint. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/423632.</li>
</ol>

23andMe Tests New Asian DNA Test Ancestry Breakdown in Central and South Asia

Each year on July 7th, we celebrate World Swahili Language Day, which honors the importance of the Swahili language in unifying African countries during their struggles for independence in the 20th century. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-medieval-swahili-coast">Medieval Swahili Coast</h2>



In celebration, 23andMe is adding a new historical group to our new 23andMe+ Premium™ membership feature, which may genetically connect you to one or more of hundreds of historical people worldwide. 



The new Medieval Swahili Coast historical group consists of 15 historical individuals who lived along the Swahili Coast between the 13th and 20th centuries CE. 



During the 11th-16th centuries, the Swahili civilization flourished along a 2,000-mile-long stretch of coast spanning parts of present-day Kenya, Tanzania, northern Mozambique, southern Somalia, Comoros islands, and northern Madagascar. The Swahili coast served as a center for medieval trade between peoples of African, South Asian, Arabic, and Persian origin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-impact-of-trade-on-language">The Impact of Trade on Language</h2>



These long-distance connections played a critical role in the origins of the Swahili language, also known by its local name, Kiswahili. The Swahili language belongs to the Bantu language family, which consists of approximately 600 different languages spoken across Central, Southern, and Eastern Africa. However, Swahili is notable for having many loanwords borrowed from other languages, particularly Arabic, which comprises over 15 percent of the vocabulary. 



While the impact of medieval long-distance trading connections on the Swahili language is clear, the extent to which these foreign traders impacted the genetics of the medieval Swahili people has long been debated. 



In 2023, researchers sequenced the genomes of 80 historical individuals from sites in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05754-w">six medieval towns along the Swahili coast</a>. This study revealed that prior to 1500 CE, the ancient inhabitants of these coastal towns had a mixture of African and Asian ancestry. 



Further, this mixed ancestry was primarily inherited from female ancestors with African ancestry and male ancestors with Asian (primarily Persian) ancestry. After 1500 CE, the people of the Swahili coast acquired more Arabian-like ancestry, reflecting growing interactions with people from southern Arabia. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learn-more">Learn More</h2>



Through 23andMe&#8217;s Historical Matches feature, which is available to all <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+ Premium members</a>, you can find out if you share a genetic connection to 15 of the individuals whose genomes were sequenced as part of this study and learn more about the Medieval Swahili Coast.



Discover <a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">all that 23andMe offers here</a>.

An image of a traditional sailing vessel on the coast of Africa.

Do you know about the origins of the Swahili Language?

By Mikala Evans, MPH



As many as 40 percent of adults in the United States, or approximately 103.3 million people, may not know they are currently living with high cholesterol.<a id="_ftnref1" href="#_ftn1">[1]</a>



High cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease/cardiovascular disease &#8211; the #1 killer of men and women in the United States.<a id="_ftnref2" href="#_ftn2">[2]</a> 



Learning about cholesterol, including how to test for and improve specific numbers, is the first step in reducing the risk of this disease. While this has historically looked like diet and exercise, genetics is starting to play a more significant role in our understanding of individual and familial risk. Before we begin to unpack lifestyle and genetics regarding heart health, let’s start with a basic cholesterol panel.



<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 340px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;"><h2>Key Terms</h2>
 

 

Cholesterol is a critical substance required by the cells in our body to make many things, including cell membranes, hormones, and vitamin D. Our bodies use our blood to get cholesterol to our cells, where it can be utilized. However, cholesterol and other fats essential for our cells (notably triglycerides) do not travel well in blood. Our body solves this problem by using lipoproteins. Key Terms 

Lipoprotein is a fancy word for a transport system that surrounds triglycerides (fats) and most cholesterol so they can travel through blood. The amount of cholesterol within a lipoprotein can vary. The two most common lipoproteins are HDL (“good”) and LDL (“bad”). A major difference between these two, and a large part of what makes them good or bad, is the apolipoprotein that is included in their transport system. 

Apolipoproteins act as keys that allow HDL or LDL to be brought inside a cell. Once inside, the fat and cholesterol are released and utilized. LDLs contain apolipoprotein B or Apo B, while HDLs contain apolipoprotein A or Apo A. For heart health, apolipoprotein B is often focused on as it is what makes LDL “bad.” Apolipoprotein B is associated with the entrapment of these lipoproteins in arterial walls, which can lead blocked arteries over time. 
 
</div>



Cholesterol panels are a great way to get a current snapshot of your heart health and will often include the key terms mentioned in the sidebar. ApoB measures how many LDL particles are in the blood. In contrast, LDL-C measures the amount of cholesterol these LDL particles carry (remember: the amount of cholesterol can vary per particle). Total cholesterol measures your blood&#8217;s total amount of cholesterol, including LDL and HDL. Per the American Heart Association (AHA), the optimal total cholesterol level is about 150 mg/dL, with LDL-C at or below 100 mg/dL.



These values are critical for heart health and can be further understood through their relationship with lifestyle and genetics. Lifestyle changes are beneficial for most people and are a great place to start when trying to improve cholesterol, ApoB, and <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/ldl-cholesterol/">LDL levels</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lifestyle">Lifestyle</h2>



When discussing lifestyle habits, much of the advice is common knowledge today: maintain a healthy weight, stay physically active, and make heart-healthy food choices. While healthy weight varies per individual, certain foods are better to limit. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and avoiding trans fat can help improve cholesterol and ApoB levels. 



Foods with saturated fats include red meat, whole milk, dairy products, coconut oil, and palm oil. Limiting trans fat consumption is best, but it might also be hidden as its alternative name, partially hydrogenated oils. It’s important to note that the focus here is on eating less saturated and trans fat and not eating less cholesterol. That’s because most cholesterol in our circulation is made by our cells and not consumed. The human body makes all the cholesterol it needs.<a id="_ftnref3" href="#_ftn3">[3]</a> 



It was once believed that eating eggs, which are high in cholesterol, would increase cholesterol levels. This has recently been shown to not be true as humans excrete most of the cholesterol they consume. It’s the consumption of saturated fats and trans fats that are actually raising cholesterol levels. These foods can be replaced with unsaturated fats in salmon, avocados, nuts, olive oil, and canola oil.



The other piece of the heart health puzzle is genetics. Two specific genetic conditions have a huge impact on heart health and have seen recent scientific breakthroughs: <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/fh/">Familial Hypercholesterolemia</a> and Lp(a).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lp-a">Lp(a)</h2>



<a href="https://investors.23andme.com/news-releases/news-release-details/23andme-aims-raise-awareness-lipoproteina-little-known-genetic">Lipoprotein (a)</a>, or Lp(a) (pronounced L-P-little a), is a type of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and therefore contains ApoB. About 1 in 5 people worldwide have high lipoprotein(a) levels<a id="_ftnref4" href="#_ftn4">[4]</a>.



Although all types of LDL can contribute to fatty buildups in arteries, Lp(a) particles are considered the most &#8220;sticky.&#8221; This means high levels of Lp(a) increase a person’s chances of these fatty buildups in and on arterial walls. Lp(a) levels are relatively stable over a person’s lifetime because genes control how much Lp(a) a person’s body makes. 



By age 5, people usually have their &#8220;adult level&#8221; of Lp(a), which tends to remain at that level regardless of diet and exercise.<a id="_ftnref5" href="#_ftn5">[5]</a> Lp(a) levels can also vary with ethnicity. For example, people of African, African American, or South Asian descent have higher Lp(a) levels on average compared to people of East Asian, European, or Hispanic descent<a id="_ftnref6" href="#_ftn6">[6]</a>.



If you are wondering about your Lp(a) levels, these can be determined via a serum blood test. This blood test is different from a cholesterol panel. A routine cholesterol test may show that your LDL cholesterol level is &#8220;healthy,&#8221; but if a large percentage of the LDL cholesterol is carried by Lp(a) particles, the risk for heart disease and stroke could still be high.<a href="#_ftn7" id="_ftnref7">[7]</a> As this is not a routine blood test, you may need to specifically request it from your healthcare provider.



Historically, there were few, if any, treatments for increased Lp(a). Lp(a) was not frequently measured due to these limited treatment options and the minimal impact of lifestyle changes. Thankfully, recent scientific breakthroughs have seen progress in the ability to treat Lp(a), and people who are diagnosed now have options to get their numbers back under control.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-familial-hypercholesterolemia">Familial Hypercholesterolemia</h2>



<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 340px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;"><h2>23andMe’s FH Report</h2>
 

 


Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH), is one of the most common genetic conditions. It’s linked to variants in multiple genes. Two of these genes are called APOB and LDLR. There are over 1,000 genetic variants known to be associated with FH.
People with genetic variants causing FH are likely to have elevated LDL cholesterol levels, which is associated with an increased risk for heart disease.

The <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-offers-a-new-report-on-familial-hypercholesterolemia" target="”_blank”" rel="”noreferrer noopener">23andMe&#8217;s Familial Hypercholesterolemia Genetic Health Risk report** </a> is part of our 23andMe+ Premium™ and it looks for 24 specific variants linked to two of these genes, APOB and LDLR.
 
You can learn more about all that 23andMe+ Premium offers including our FH report <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/" target="”_blank”" rel="”noreferrer noopener">here</a>.

</div>



Another common genetic condition that impacts heart disease is f<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-offers-a-new-report-on-familial-hypercholesterolemia">amilial hypercholesterolemia (FH)</a>. An individual with FH cannot properly recycle LDL. These individuals are, therefore, born with high LDL cholesterol levels that only get higher over their lifetime. As mentioned above, since high LDL levels increase the risk of coronary heart disease, people with FH have 20 times the risk of developing heart disease.<a id="_ftnref8" href="#_ftn8">[8]</a>



FH is critical to discuss when mentioning heart health because FH affects about 1.3 million people (adults and children) in the U.S., but only about 30% of people are aware they have it.<a id="_ftnref9" href="#_ftn9">[9]</a> There are two main types of FH: Heterozygous FH (HeFH) and Homozygous FH (HoFH). HeFH is only inherited from one parent, and if left untreated, people with HeFH may develop heart disease as early as 30 years old. HoFH is inherited from both parents and is rarer and much more severe. With HoFH, LDL cholesterol levels can reach above 400 mg/dL of blood, and people with HoFH may develop heart disease in the first 10 years of life, sometimes as soon as 2 or 3 years old, if not treated early.<a id="_ftnref10" href="#_ftn10">[10]</a>



As one in every 200 Americans may be impacted by FH, raising awareness about how to diagnose and treat it is critical. FH can be diagnosed through a physical exam, lab results, personal and family history, and genetic testing. Unlike Lp(a), lifestyle changes can help, but it cannot be treated by diet and exercise alone. Individuals with FH should speak with their healthcare provider about statins and other cholesterol-lowering medication options.



While everyone has different cholesterol levels and risks, understanding the basic concepts and how to assess personal risk is critical for people to better understand their health and start taking action toward a healthier future.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fun-fact-heart-health-addition">Fun Fact &#8211; Heart Health Addition</h2>



How many times does your heart beat a day on average?*



Mikala Evans’ time with 23andMe goes back to 2015 when she worked with our Customer Care team. She returned to the company after receiving her master’s in public health from UCLA, where she trained in epidemiology and focused her studies on asthma within a community in Los Angeles exposed to natural gas pollution. After returning to 23andMe, Mikala has worked as a quality engineer focused on compliance. She has a bachelor of science in biochemistry and a minor in religious studies from Washington University in St. Louis. She loves her two nieces and exploring all the natural beauty in Northern California.&nbsp;



*Answer: 100,000 times!



**23andMe health predisposition reports include both reports that meet FDA requirements for genetic health risks and reports which are based on 23andMe research and have not been reviewed by the FDA. The test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. The Familial Hypercholesterolemia genetic health risk report is indicated for reporting of one variant in the APOB gene and 23 variants in the LDLR gene and describes if a person has variants associated with an increased risk of developing very high LDL cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease. The majority of the variants included in this report have been most studied in people of European and Lebanese descent, as well as in the Old Order Amish. For important information and limitations regarding each genetic health risk report, visit 23andme.com/test-info/.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-footnotes">Footnotes:</h2>



<a id="_ftn1" href="#_ftnref1">[1]</a>https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/article-abstract/2811350?guestAccessKey=cad4492b-7050-431d-9d2c-f55e0e971cc9&amp;utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_content=tfl&amp;utm_term=110123



<a href="#_ftnref2" id="_ftn2">[2]</a>Cathy Lewis, “More than half of U.S. adults don’t know heart disease is leading cause of death, despite 100-year reign, AHA, published January 24, 2024, “https://newsroom.heart.org/news/more-than-half-of-u-s-adults-dont-know-heart-disease-is-leading-cause-of-death-despite-100-year-reign



<a href="#_ftnref3" id="_ftn3">[3]</a> American Heart Association, “Watch Learn and Live &#8211; Cholesterol”, https://watchlearnlive.heart.org/index.php?moduleSelect=hdlldl



<a href="#_ftnref4" id="_ftn4">[4]</a>Michael Precker, “Monitoring lesser-known numbers in a blood screening can help heart health”, American Heart Association News, AHA, published January 12, 2024,&nbsp;&nbsp; https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/01/12/monitoring-lesser-known-numbers-in-a-blood-screening-can-help-heart-health



<a href="#_ftnref5" id="_ftn5">[5]</a> “Lipoprotein (a) Blood Test”, MedlinePlus: National Library of Medicine (NIH); last revised August 3, 2022, https://medlineplus.gov/heartattack.htmlhttps://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/lipoprotein-a-blood-test/



<a href="#_ftnref6" id="_ftn6">[6]</a> Anurag Mehta, Vardhmaan Jain, Anum Saeed, Joseph J. Saseen, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/author/8688892300/martha-gulati">Martha Gulati</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/author/7101711066/christie-mitchell-ballantyne">Christie M. Ballantyne</a>, and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/author/6701757915/salim-s-virani">Salim S. Virani</a>, “Lipoprotein(a) and ethnicities”, Atherosclerosis, Volume 349, 2022, Pages 42-52, Accessed via <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2022.04.005">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2022.04.005</a>



<a href="#_ftnref7" id="_ftn7">[7]</a>“Lipoprotein (a) Blood Test”, MedlinePlus: National Library of Medicine (NIH); last revised August 3, 2022, https://medlineplus.gov/heartattack.htmlhttps://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/lipoprotein-a-blood-test/



<a href="#_ftnref8" id="_ftn8">[8]</a>American Heart Association, “Watch Learn and Live &#8211; Cholesterol”, https://watchlearnlive.heart.org/index.php?moduleSelect=hdlldl



<a href="#_ftnref9" id="_ftn9">[9]</a> Family Heart Foundation, “Familial Hypercholesterolemia”, <a href="https://familyheart.org/familial-hypercholesterolemia#:~:text=FH%20is%20found%20in%201,know%20they%20have%20it%20today">https://familyheart.org/familial-hypercholesterolemia#:~:text=FH%20is%20found%20in%201,know%20they%20have%20it%20today</a>, accessed 17 June 2024.



<a href="#_ftnref10" id="_ftn10">[10]</a>American Heart Association, “Watch Learn and Live &#8211; Cholesterol”, https://watchlearnlive.heart.org/index.php?moduleSelect=hdlldl

Mikala Evans

Mind + Body Wellness — Cholesterol

Your age is just a number. It doesn&#8217;t tell you much about how old or young you feel or the health of your body. Maybe there&#8217;s a better way, one that offers a path to better health while encouraging you to stay young at heart.



This week, 23andMe launched a new Biological Age feature as part of our advanced health membership,<a href="https://www.23andme.com/total-health/"> 23andMe+ Total Health</a>.™ The new feature uses blood-based biomarkers to calculate your biological age. The Biological Age feature offers a new perspective on your health and longevity potential. You can&#8217;t change when you were born but can change your biological age through a healthier diet, lifestyle changes, and managing key health indicators like cholesterol and blood sugar. Customers can monitor their progress with biannual blood work that is part of the 23andMe+ Total Health offering.



&#8220;Our health customers seek personalized, actionable health insights,&#8221; said Robin Smith, Director of Product Management at 23andMe. &#8220;The Biological Age feature enables them to understand and track how their lifestyle choices impact their biological age, providing a clear view of their health journey as they make positive changes.&#8221;&nbsp;



The Biological Age feature will provide members with their &#8220;biological age&#8221; — a numerical representation of biological wear and tear—and insights about which biomarkers are causing it to differ from their calendar age. 23andMe uses a statistical model based on associations between different biomarkers and lifespan. The biomarkers offer insight into the relative health or age of various functional systems in the body.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-model-calculates-biological-age">AI Model Calculates Biological Age</h2>



Our feature is powered by a machine learning/artificial intelligence (ML/AI) model, in which the model learns nontrivial associations from a very large set of data. Our Biological Age model uncovers hidden relationships between biomarkers and lifespan using outcomes of more than 200,000 people between the ages of 37 and 73 who consented to participate in research by the UK Biobank.&nbsp;



The model includes 13 biomarkers, such as total cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and white blood cells. Taken together, these biomarkers help assess the relative health of different organs, such as the heart, liver, and metabolic system. 



Compared to calendar age, the model is a better predictor of longevity and several age-related health conditions, including type 2 diabetes and heart attack. It also performs well across different ages, sexes, and ancestries.



Typically, biomarkers outside the clinically normal range can be too high or too low, and both may signal poor health. Through careful design of our algorithm, the 23andMe model improves on other published biological age models with its unique ability to learn from biomarkers that have both high and low values associated with shorter lifespans, not just one or the other. Read our white paper to learn more about the <a href="https://permalinks.23andme.com/pdf/23_26-BBAMethodology_May2024.pdf">science behind our Biological Age model</a>.



The AI model for estimating biological age does not include genetic data, fitness levels, or underlying health conditions. However, it offers a valuable snapshot of your current health. Suppose your biological age is older than your calendar age. In that case, the feature helps you pinpoint the biomarkers contributing to those differences and provides motivation to try to lower your biological age.



You can&#8217;t change when you are born but can make healthy choices to slow biological aging.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-total-health">Total Health</h2>



The new Biological Age feature is included in 23andMe+ Total Health™, a first-of-its-kind preventive health membership.&nbsp;



The Biological Age feature in 23andMe+ Total Health is included in our most comprehensive package of highly personalized actionable reports. This package combines access to clinical care and empowers customers to take actions that may lead to prevention and early detection of serious health conditions. To be able to use the Biological Age feature, Total Health members will have to have their blood work done. Biannual blood work is part of the 23andMe+ Total Health offering.



The membership service includes everything that comes with 23andMe+ Premium along with additional genetic data drawn from exome sequencing and surfaced in personalized, consumer-friendly reports. In addition, Total Health includes bi-annual blood testing and access to clinicians trained in genetics.&nbsp;



Find out more about <a href="https://www.23andme.com/total-health/">Total Health here</a>.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



*“Total Health membership includes services initiated and performed by third-party clinicians and lab providers through the 23andMe platform. Additional terms and conditions also apply. See 23andme.com to learn more. Total Health Membership not available to residents of HI, NJ, NY, OK, RI and US territories.”

Introducing Biological Age Feature for 23andMe+ Total Health Members

Editor&#8217;s note: (June 4, 2024) This post has been changed since it was first published.
The Royal House of Habsburg, one of the most powerful dynasties of Medieval and Renaissance Europe, reigned over much of Europe for centuries. But genetic inheritance and the perils of inbreeding may explain their demise.
Like <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/researchers-discover-the-true-identity-of-the-royal-disease">many royal families</a>, their expansion and hold on power came about in part through inter-family marriages. But over time, generation after generation of inbreeding helped contribute to some of the physical ailments that often plagued the family and the distinctive look with their big lower lips, long noses, and the unique “Habsburg jaw.” Research published in the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03014460.2019.1687752?scroll=top&amp;needAccess=true&amp;">Annals of Human Biology</a> describes how this inbreeding likely doomed the dynasty.
(We can&#8217;t tell you if you&#8217;re a royal, but you can learn more about your ancestry and family tree with 23andMe&#8217;s DNA Ancestry service or sign up for a <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">membership</a> for advanced ancestry reports and features.)<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-27824 size-medium" title="Habsburg Inbreeding" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Habsburgs-236x300.png" alt=" Charles II of Spain, showing the Habsburg jaw, a result of inbreeding
" width="236" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Habsburgs-236x300.png 236w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Habsburgs-768x974.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Habsburgs-807x1024.png 807w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Habsburgs-694x880.png 694w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Habsburgs-930x1180.png 930w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Habsburgs.png 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 236px) 100vw, 236px" />
<h2>Understanding Consanguinity: Inbreeding&#8217;s Role in Genetic Disorders</h2>
Inbreeding is when two closely related individuals, who inherited some identical segments of DNA from the same ancestor(s), have children. The term genetic counselors typically use for inbreeding is “consanguinity,” which means “of the same blood” and is pronounced, “con-san-gwinity.”
The degree of relationship between the two individuals matters a lot. Children of parents who are brother and sister are more consanguineous (“con-sang-win-us”) than the children of two people who are first cousins. For similar reasons, consanguinity within the same family over multiple generations increases the risk for hereditary disorders in more than one isolated instance of a consanguineous union in a family tree.
Beginning in the early 12th century, they quickly expanded their realm. They did this through a series of strategically executed marriages, from the mountains of Switzerland to a territory that included swaths of Austria, Hungary, Italy, France, and Spain. The Spanish branch of the Habsburg dynasty helped create an empire that reached its apex in the 16th and 17th centuries. They controlled land from the Philippines to the Americas.
Yet the Habsburgs are known not only for controlling vast tracts of Europe but also for maintaining control by rarely marrying outside the dynasty.   
<h2>Habsburg Inbreeding</h2>
By the end of the 17th century, the results of their marital practices had become apparent. Family members had distinctive protruding lips, a high rate of infant mortality and a host of other health problems.
Could the same marital practices that helped bring the Habsburg dynasty to power also have led to its demise?
In <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0005174" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">PLoS One</a>, scientists from Spain&#8217;s University of Santiago de Compostela argue it did. They said that inbreeding so incapacitated the Habsburgs that by the death of King Charles II of Spain in 1700, they were virtually unable to reproduce.
From 1516 to 1700, it has been estimated that over 80% of marriages within the Spanish branch of the Habsburg dynasty were consanguineous. In other words, they were marriages between close blood relatives. These unions often took the form of marriages between first cousins, double-first cousins, and uncles/nieces.   Infant and child mortality rose to 50% among Spanish Habsburgs, much higher than the average for the period.
<h2>The Tragic Reign of Charles II: A Victim of Inbreeding?</h2>
However, the final Habsburg king of Spain, Charles II, was perhaps the most unfortunate result of these unions.   Also known as &#8220;El Hechizado&#8221; (&#8220;The Hexed&#8221;), Charles was severely deformed.   The so-called &#8220;Habsburg Lip&#8221;, a form of mandibular prognathism often seen among members of the Habsburg Dynasty, was so pronounced in Charles&#8217; case. So much so that it was difficult for him to speak.   An enlarged tongue, gastrointestinal problems, mental retardation, and possible growth problems meant that Charles was raised almost as an infant until the age of 10.   Even as he grew older, he was never able to govern effectively.   His rule saw the rapid decline of the Empire, only exacerbated by his death in 1700.
However, there has been little scientific research for all the speculation and anecdotal evidence of the negative impact of inbreeding on the House of Habsburg. So, there is no hard evidence of whether inbreeding actually played a role in the demise of the Hapsburg line.   The authors of this study sought to achieve this goal by examining genealogical information. To do that, they looked at family pedigrees for the eight royal families connected with the Habsburg dynasty.
<h2>Quantifying Royal Inbreeding: The Habsburg Family Tree Analysis</h2>
They analyzed the family pedigrees of over 3,000 individuals spanning 16 generations. They then used this information to calculate the inbreeding coefficient for each family member. The inbreeding coefficient is simply a measure of the chance that someone will receive identical genes from both parents.
Unsurprisingly, the authors found elevated inbreeding coefficients for many Habsburgs.   In fact, the levels increase consistently from the earliest Spanish Habsburgs. This goes from King Philip I (1478-1506) to the last Spanish Habsburg king Charles II.   Some of the Habsburgs &#8211; notably Charles II &#8211; had an inbreeding coefficient nearly twice what one would expect, given the level of relatedness between his mother and father.   In other words, although Charles&#8217; parents were related to each other as uncle and niece, his inbreeding coefficient fell at the same level as someone whose parents were brother and sister.
These unexpectedly high levels indicate consanguineous marriages, like that of Charles&#8217; parents. These unions had been happening along the Habsburg line for hundreds of years. This practice came to a head with the birth of Charles, whose inbreeding coefficient was the highest of all the Spanish Habsburgs. His physical deformities were also the most severe.
Further, the authors argue that Charles&#8217; ill health directly resulted from centuries of consanguineous unions. Expressly, they point to a growth hormone deficiency and severe renal tubular acidosis. These may have accounted for his short stature and many physical deformities and ailments.   These diseases are pretty rare in the general population. But the fact that so many of Charles&#8217; ancestors were related to each other would have increased his chances of inheriting the genes associated with them.   Whether Charles suffered from these specific diseases is still open to interpretation. However, his physical and mental difficulties prevented him from fathering any heirs to the throne.
The Habsburg dynasty in Spain ended when Charles passed away in 1700, a few days shy of his 39th birthday.
<h2>Genetics and Personalized Health in the 21st Century</h2>
The Habsburg dynasty&#8217;s story highlights genetics&#8217; profound impact on health and well-being, a reality that resonates even more strongly in the 21st century. Today, advancements in genetic research have opened up a new frontier in personalized healthcare.
Understanding one&#8217;s genetic makeup can provide insights into potential health risks, carrier status for certain conditions, and how individuals might respond to different medications. This knowledge empowers individuals to make informed decisions about their health, from lifestyle choices to proactive screenings and treatments.
23andMe, at the forefront of personal genetics, provides individuals with access to this valuable information. While rooted in the past, the Habsburg narrative serves as a compelling reminder of the power of genetics in shaping health outcomes.
Find out if your <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/genetic-health/?_gl=1*1xgbpjj*_ga*MTczMTM3NTg5LjE3MTY0MjQ4MzE.*_ga_G330GF3ZFF*MTcxNjQ0OTk1Ny40LjEuMTcxNjQ1MDA2MC4wLjAuMA..">genetics</a> might Increase your risk for any health conditions with 23andMe.

The Habsburg Jaw: How Inbreeding Ended a Dynasty

In the largest study of its kind, an international team of researchers led by researchers at the Technical University of Munich and scientists at <a href="https://www.helmholtz-munich.de/en/newsroom/news-all/artikel/restless-legs-syndrome-genetic-discoveries-advance-treatment-and-risk-prediction" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Helmholtz Munich</a>, a health research center in Germany, identified new genetic variants associated with restless legs syndrome.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-harnessing-the-power-of-genetics">Harnessing the Power of Genetics</h2>



Published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-024-01763-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Genetics</a>, the study identified more than 160 genetic associations for the condition, giving researchers a better understanding of the biological pathways for restless leg syndrome. The genetic findings also point researchers to possible drug targets for treating restless leg syndrome.



While not the first genetic study into the condition by this group of researchers, it is by far the largest, and the size of the highlights sex differences revealed ten times more genetic variants associated with the condition. The researchers achieved this by using data from more than 1.5 million people. More than 90 percent of the 23andMe customers consented to participate in the research. However, the study also included data from about 25,000 people who are part of the INTERVAL Study and another 25,000 or so from the International EU_RLS-Gene consortium.



“For the first time, we achieved the ability to sufficiently assess the risk for restless leg syndrome,” said Juliane Winkelmann, Head of the Institute of Human Genetics at the Technical University of Munich, as well as the Institute of Neurogenomics at Helmholtz Munich.



Dr. Winkelmann has researched restless leg syndrome for more than 25 years. She helped lead an international team of researchers that included other scientists at Helmholz Munich, the Technical University of Munich, and the University of Cambridge.



“It’s been a long journey, but now we are empowered not only to treat but to learn how to prevent this condition,” Dr. Winkelmann said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-restless-leg-syndrome">What Is Restless Leg Syndrome?</h2>



Restless leg syndrome is surprisingly common, and estimates show it affects up to 10 percent of older adults. According to researchers, it also affects people of European ancestry at higher rates than other ethnicities.



As the name implies, restless leg syndrome causes uncomfortable sensations and an urge to move one’s legs. It often occurs at night and can lead to sleep disruption. Along with the discomfort and urge to move, up to 80 percent of those with restless leg syndrome also experience uncontrolled leg movement during sleep, according to <a href="https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/restless-legs-syndrome" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the National Institutes of Health</a>.



Considered a neurological condition, restless leg syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekborn disease, is caused by many different factors, including genetics and environmental factors. Women are slightly more likely to experience it than men. It sometimes appears during pregnancy but goes away after delivery.



Some research suggests that low iron levels in certain brain parts may be a factor, while other research points to dopamine, a chemical messenger in the brain that helps control body movement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-restless-leg-syndrome-genetic">Is Restless Leg Syndrome Genetic?</h2>



Studies of families and twins have shown a strong genetic component to the disorder, which led to the discovery of six genetic variants that increased the risk of developing the condition.



<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;"><h2>Learn More</h2>
 

 
Along with contributing to this research and a previous study of restless leg syndrome, 23andMe+ Premium includes a Restless Leg Syndrome report, Powered by 23andMe Research. The report uses a statistical model based on many genetic variants to estimate a person’s likelihood of developing restless leg syndrome. The report is part of a group of reports that focus on sleep quality, including reports on insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, sleep movement, deep sleep and wake time. 

 Find out more about all that 23andMe offers <a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">here</a>. 
</div>



The cause of restless leg syndrome involves a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. However, for years, understanding the underlying biology remained largely elusive, hindering the development of effective treatment and prevention strategies.



The new research published earlier this month expands on the known genetic variants associated with restless leg syndrome, revealing more details about the genes involved, which will help those looking for more effective treatments. Some associations are on or near genes involved in changes in the formation of neuronal circuits as well as the growth and development of nerve cells, a process known as neurogenesis. Among the associations identified, the researchers also identified 13 genes associated with restless leg syndrome currently targeted by approved drugs but not for restless leg syndrome. That could offer promising avenues for repurposing medications for restless leg syndrome treatment.



In addition, the researchers used the accumulation of associated genetic variants and non-genetic factors to create a risk prediction model that performed well in estimating the likelihood of developing restless leg syndrome.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-restless-legs-syndrome-impact-your-health">Can restless legs syndrome impact your health?</h2>



Symptoms from restless leg syndrome range from simply uncomfortable to truly painful, and that can vary from day to day.



The implications from the range of symptoms extend beyond how they might make one feel and can also impact one’s overall health. That’s because restless leg syndrome disrupts a person’s ability to fall and stay asleep.



Over time, this can take its toll with changes in mood, exhaustion, and difficulty concentrating. In addition, restless leg syndrome is also associated with other conditions, such as anxiety and depression. The condition is also associated with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Because many of those with restless leg syndrome don’t realize they have it, they may try to self-medicate with alcohol or over-the-counter sleep aids, which in turn can make the condition worse.



However, some treatments and lifestyle changes could help ease those symptoms. For example, ensuring that you are getting enough iron, limiting alcohol and caffeine, and avoiding smoking can help alleviate symptoms. In addition, regular exercise, massage, and warm baths can help.

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