Instead of being treated for an illness, most of us would prefer to avoid getting sick in the first place.
But in large measure, our health care system isn’t geared for that. It’s quite good at treating illness but not so good at preventing it. What if you could turn that system on its head and, through genetic testing, identify the risk for a serious illness or disease before it becomes a problem?
Imagine a different kind of clinical care in which patients and their providers could take action earlier to treat or potentially prevent an illness altogether.
23andMe is taking its first steps to do just that.
“By starting with genetics we can give people, and their healthcare providers, better information about risks and potential treatments,&#8221; said Paul Johnson, 23andMe’s Vice President, General Manager, Consumer, and former CEO of Lemonaid Health. “This is a first step toward integrating genetics into everyday care. It has the potential to transform the traditional primary care experience and make personalized healthcare a reality.”
&nbsp;

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="512" height="268" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Linkedinfacebook-lemonaid.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-29712" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Linkedinfacebook-lemonaid.jpeg 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Linkedinfacebook-lemonaid-300x157.jpeg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></figure>
 
<h6>An Action Plan</h6>
In the fall, 23andMe acquired the innovative telemedicine company Lemonaid Health. 
For our customers, starting this week, we will be offering genetic report consultations with a Lemonaid Health clinician. These licensed and patient-centric healthcare professionals can help customers better understand the potential impact of their genetic risk profile and discuss the next steps. 
Every day, otherwise healthy 23andMe customers learn of genetic variants that could predispose them to a health condition that could be concerning. These are serious, clinically-relevant conditions. For many of these conditions there may be treatments available, so knowing of a risk offers customers a chance to take steps to prevent or manage them.  
This integration with Lemonaid Health will offer customers who may have learned of an unknown genetic risk through their 23andMe Health Reports, or those who simply have questions about a condition, an opportunity to consult virtually with a clinician about what those risks might mean for them. Together with the clinician, a customer can then create an action plan to address the identified risk if necessary.
<h6>The First Set of Reports</h6>
This first phase of the integration will focus on a subset of 23andMe’s Genetic Health Risk Reports* related to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome caused by variants in the BRCA genes, MUTYH-associated polyposis (a hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome), and familial hypercholesterolemia which can cause high cholesterol and early heart attacks. In addition, 23andMe+ members will have the opportunity to share information related to select Pharmacogenetics Reports** when it is appropriate for their care plan. These reports focus on genetic variants that can impact how the customer may process certain medications.
Here are the reports that will be included in the first phase of this program:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) Genetic Health Risk Report*, looks at three genetic variants associated with increased risk for breast cancer (in women and men), ovarian cancer and possibly certain other cancers including prostate and pancreatic cancer. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">MUTYH-Associated Polyposis (MAP) Genetic Health Risk Report*, looks at two genetic variants associated with an increased risk for colorectal cancer.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) Genetic Health Risk Report*, looks at two dozen genetic variants linked to FH which increases the risk of high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and premature heart attacks.</li>
</ul>
<h6>How it Works</h6>
23andMe customers will be able to connect with Lemonaid Health directly through one of these reports. From there they’ll be able to schedule a consultation with one of Lemonaid’s physicians or nurse practitioners.
A customer can choose to share their 23andMe report data with the Lemonaid Health clinician conducting the consultation. Alternatively, customers can decide to consult with a clinician without sharing their data, and simply discuss their reports or family health history. In either process, the customer and clinician consultation remains confidential. Customers will also have the option to discuss two 23andMe Pharmacogenetics (PGt) reports** (only available to 23andMe+ members) with a doctor or nurse practitioner within the context of the above conditions. 23andMe’s Pharmacogenetics Reports look at how a customer’s DNA may impact the way they process certain medications. 
The initial consultation will be $65, and focuses on helping an individual understand their 23andMe reports in the context of their own health and family history, and what next steps they could take. The discussion will focus on the interplay of genetics along with how their own personal and family health history influences the risk of developing a disease. Confirmatory testing could be recommended at the first consultation. 
Follow-up virtual visits will be $110 after that initial visit. Trained in genetic health concepts, the Lemonaid team may coordinate additional confirmatory testing if necessary or recommend specialist referrals, or they may simply help customers better understand their reports and next steps. Initially, the consultations will be by phone, and reachable through the 23andMe iOS app, Web, and Mobile Web.  The service is currently not available on Android devices.
<h6>Find Out More</h6>
This first step in enabling 23andMe customers to access individualized care powered by genetics delivers on 23andMe’s mission to ensure people can benefit from the human genome. 
Find out more about what 23andMe offers <a href="https://www.23andme.com/?halnup=hath&#038;evr=epv">here</a>.
<hr />
*The 23andMe PGS 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.  Warnings &amp; Limitations: The 23andMe PGS Genetic Health Risk Report for BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) is indicated for reporting of the 185delAG and 5382insC variants in the BRCA1 gene and the 6174delT variant in the BRCA2 gene. The report describes if a woman is at increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, and if a man is at increased risk of developing breast cancer or may be at increased risk of developing prostate cancer.  The three variants included in this report are most common in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent and do not represent the majority of BRCA1/BRCA2 variants in the general population. The MUTYH-Associated Polyposis Genetic Health Risk Report is indicated for reporting the Y179C and G396D variants in the MUTYH gene and an increased risk for colorectal cancer.  The two variants included in this report are most common in people of Northern European descent.  These reports do not include variants in other genes linked to hereditary cancers and the absence of variants included in these reports do not rule out the presence of other genetic variants that may impact cancer risk. The PGS test is not a substitute for visits to a healthcare professional for recommended screenings or appropriate follow-up. Results should be confirmed in a clinical setting before taking any medical action.  For important information and limitations regarding other genetic health risk reports visit  <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info">https://www.23andme.com/test-info</a>.  
**23andMe PGS Pharmacogenetics reports: The 23andMe test uses qualitative genotyping to detect 3 variants in the CYP2C19 gene, 2 variants in the DPYD gene, and 1 variant in the SLCO1B1 gene in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting information about the processing of certain therapeutics to inform discussions with a healthcare professional. It does not describe if a person will or will not respond to a particular therapeutic and does not describe the association between detected variants and any specific therapeutic. Our CYP2C19 Pharmacogenetics report provides certain information about variants associated with the metabolism of some therapeutics and provides interpretive drug information regarding the potential effect of citalopram and clopidogrel therapy. Results for SLCO1B1 and DPYD and certain CYP2C19 results should be confirmed by an independent genetic test prescribed by your own healthcare provider before taking any medical action. Warning: Test information should not be used to start, stop, or change any course of treatment and does not test for all possible variants that may affect metabolism or protein function. The PGS test is not a substitute for visits to a healthcare professional. Making changes to your current regimen can lead to harmful side effects or reduced intended benefits of your medication, therefore consult with your healthcare professional before taking any medical action. For important information and limitations regarding Pharmacogenetics reports, visit 23andme.com/test-info/pharmacogenetics/

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Another Step Toward Unlocking the Power of Genetic Health Information

Diseases are considered rare if they affect fewer than 200,000 in the United States, but collectively rare diseases — there are nearly 7,000 — are more common than we realize, affecting about 25 million Americans and more than 300 million people worldwide.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-16566 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/lung_xray-300x223.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="223" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/lung_xray-300x223.jpeg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/lung_xray.jpeg 350w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Because these are rare conditions finding enough research participants to study these conditions can make studying them immensely challenging for scientists. But the 23andMe research model is uniquely suited to<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/new-way-to-study-rare-disease/"> study rare diseases.</a> We’ve launched a series of studies on rare diseases like <a href="https://www.23andme.com/systemic-sclerosis-study/">systemic sclerosis</a>, and<a href="https://www.23andme.com/idiopathic-pulmonary-fibrosis/"> idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)</a>. Earlier this month we added one more to the list with a <a href="https://www.23andme.com/sarcoidosis-representation/">new study of sarcoidosis</a>. April also happens to be Sarcoidosis Month, and April 30th is National Sarcoidosis Day in the United States.
So, take a moment to learn a bit more about this little-known condition.
<h6>An Inflammatory Disease</h6>
Sarcoidosis (pronounced SAR-COY-DOE-SIS), is an inflammatory disease that mostly affects the lungs in people with the condition but can affect any organs in the body. 
The disease leads to the clumping together of inflammatory cells in different organs, which in turn can lead to scarring and organ dysfunction. While it impacts both men and women, and people of any ethnicity or age, it disproportionately affects people of African ancestry, particularly women, and people of Northern European ancestry. 
Early symptoms may include fatigue, swollen lymph nodes or painful swelling of the joints. Because it often affects the lungs, sarcoidosis symptoms may also include shortness of breath, wheezing, a persistent cough or chest pain. When it affects the heart, the condition may result in irregular heart beat, or accelerated heart beat, or swelling of the heart, known as edema. It can also affect the eyes resulting in blurred vision,
There currently is no cure and few approved treatments.
<h6>Searching for Treatments</h6>
23andMe’s study will look at genetic associations in what we hope will be the world’s largest study of this disease in African Americans. We hope the research identifies potential new treatments for sarcoidosis. Our efforts will involve recruiting people with the condition to participate in our research. That ensures that people of African ancestry are well-represented in the research. This is to ensure that any new potential treatments are effective for underrepresented populations.
In general, studying rare diseases is a challenge because patients are hard to find and recruit in large numbers. Simply finding enough people with one of these conditions who can participate is often the first hurdle for researchers. But 23andMe is uniquely positioned to do this work. We believe that by leveraging online tools and reaching out to individuals diagnosed with sarcoidosis we can accelerate the pace of research.
Just as with most other rare diseases, there is a strong genetic component to sarcoidosis. However, many of the genetic variants associated with the condition have not yet been identified. 
<h6>More</h6>
Learn more about 23andMe’s sarcoidosis study <a href="https://www.23andme.com/sarcoidosis-representation/">here</a>.
Questions about the study? Contact us at <a href="mailto:sarcoidosis-representation@23andme.com">sarcoidosis-representation@23andme.com</a>.

23andMe Launches Sarcoidosis Study

In the early 2000s, three people had a radical idea. What if you could access your genetic information and truly understand what it means for your health?
That radical idea became the foundation of 23andMe.
 Since then, more than 12 million people have accessed their genetic information through 23andMe, and 80% of them have consented to participate in research that could lead to new insights and discoveries. 
Today, 23andMe turns 16. In many ways, we’re a lot like any other teenager. We’ve experienced some growing pains, we’re comfortable pushing boundaries, we’ve had our fair share of adventures, and we’re never afraid to question the status quo. 
 To celebrate this milestone, we’re resurfacing 16 of the best, strangest, funniest, and most influential moments in our company history.

<h6>1. Three people walk into an office…</h6>
Anne Wojcicki co-founded 23andMe in 2006 with Linda Avey and Paul Cusenza, who had previously worked at DNA micro-array company Affymetrix, to change the future of genetics and healthcare. The team of three worked out of a small office in Palo Alto, complete with an overcrowded, hardworking computer server room. Scientific rigor was top of mind; the co-founders spent their early days meeting with regulators, building a robust advisory committee, and figuring out how to give people direct access to their genetic information.

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="889" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/blog1-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-29733" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/blog1-1.png 2000w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/blog1-1-300x133.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/blog1-1-768x341.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/blog1-1-1024x455.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/blog1-1-880x391.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/blog1-1-1180x525.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>
 
<h6>2. What’s in a name</h6>
One of the first priorities was finding a company name, and Anne had a few ideas. In an early email (with the subject line: name explanation), she wrote:
“[The name] 23andME is derived from three elements:
23: pairs of chromosomes in our DNA, one set from each parent.
AND: people want to know what it means for them, and if you reverse ‘and,’ it spells DNA.
ME: It’s all relative to and about our customers – it’s their DNA; it’s their choice.
We also believe in 23and We; collective MEs can change the world.”

<h6>3. Drawing design inspiration from candy</h6>
23andMe had a name and vision. Now it just needed a logo. Early designs drew inspiration from unlikely sources, like bright, fruit-flavored candy. Each design iteration moved us closer to the logo we have today – a fun, colorful symbol of the accessibility and curiosity at the heart of 23andMe. Sweet!

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="889" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-.png" alt="" class="wp-image-29734" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-.png 2000w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi--300x133.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi--768x341.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi--1024x455.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi--880x391.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi--1180x525.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>
 
<h6>4. You’re invited to a Spit Party</h6>
The elements of a good party are simple: food, drink, friends, music, stimulating conversation, and, in the case of our 2007 Spit Party held in New York City, saliva. The event was part of a larger strategy to introduce our product to the world.

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="889" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-1-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-29735" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-1-1.png 2000w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-1-1-300x133.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-1-1-768x341.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-1-1-1024x455.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-1-1-880x391.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-1-1-1180x525.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>
 
<h6>5. Look, Ma. We’re on TV!</h6>
Our first TV campaign, Portraits of Health, featured people sharing what they learned from their 23andMe reports. Some discovered unknown ancestry or insights about particular traits like blue eyes or curly hair. Others learned information about possible genetic risks related to their health. 

<h6>6. A part of something bigger</h6>
The 23andMe<a href="https://www.23andme.com/research/"> research model</a> invites customers to consent to participate and help to accelerate genetic discoveries that offer the potential for new insights and treatments. We regularly collaborate with partners across academia and industry and have authored and contributed to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/publications/">hundreds </a>of peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Our collaboration with <a href="https://www.michaeljfox.org/parkinsons-awareness-month?smcid=ap-a1b1R0000086fHf">The Michael J. Fox Foundation</a> allowed us to create a groundbreaking, dynamic<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/parkinsons-decade-of-discovery/"> research community</a> that ensures Parkinson’s patients have a voice.
And our publication in<a href="https://www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltext/S0002-9297(20)30200-7"> The American Journal of Human Genetics</a> leveraged the <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/transatlantic-slave-trade-paper/">genetic data</a> of close to 50,000 people to investigate the transatlantic slave trade, confirming new genetic links between the Americas and Africa.
[vc_video link=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_2zj3I4gU&amp;list=PLFvkfbvHpp1lQ8bqNZaO629ePXdH7qSPx&amp;index=18&#8243; el_aspect=&#8221;916&#8243; align=&#8221;center&#8221;]
<h6>7. How to host a Neanderthal-friendly Thanksgiving dinner</h6>
Are you considering inviting a Neanderthal to your Thanksgiving celebration? We created a <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/six-things-serve-neanderthal-guest-thanksgiving/">set of guidelines</a> with everything you need to know about welcoming your closest extinct relative from the Pleistocene Epoch. 
Play to their strengths
Based on evidence that Neanderthals possessed sophisticated tool-making <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150114101528.htm">skills</a>, your guests may be able to handily carve up the turkey or roast using a stone or bone instrument.
Conversation starters
Neanderthals were quite social. They often had a nuclear family and lived in a close-knit community of hunter-gatherers, and they were intimately in touch with their surroundings. So be sure to ask about kids, parents, and friends. Questions about outdoor activities are okay, too!

<h6>8. Launching 23andMe+®</h6>
Many of our customers wanted more ways to engage in their genetics journey. So in 2020, we introduced <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+</a>, a new annual membership that provides exclusive access to genetic reports, as well as new reports and features as they become available. 

<h6>9. Contributing to COVID-19 research</h6>
We launched a large-scale<a href="https://medical.23andme.com/23andme-engages-its-millions-of-research-participants-to-study-covid-19/"> research study</a> of more than a million 23andMe customers as part of the global response to COVID-19. Through their participation, our researchers were able to quickly make<a href="https://medical.23andme.com/23andme-finds-evidence-that-blood-type-plays-a-role-in-covid-19/"> new findings</a> and<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/covid-19-severity-calculator/"> build tools</a> to help advance our understanding of the virus.

<h6>10. Ringing in the next chapter </h6>
Anne rang the bell to the Nasdaq exchange on June 17, 2021, marking our first day trading as a public company. Her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTTnn2QLWWA">celebratory remarks</a> provided a glimpse into the future:
“23andMe is more than just a genetics company. We are an activist brand that is approaching health care and drug discovery with the individual at the center, as our partner. We are going to continue pioneering a consumer-centered personalized health care world. We are going to show that drug discovery can be more efficient when you start with a human genetic insight.”
[vc_video link=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTTnn2QLWWA&#8221; el_aspect=&#8221;916&#8243;]
<h6>11. DNA enters the cultural conversation</h6>
We knew we had arrived when a famous singer, dancer, songwriter, and flutist dressed up as a<a href="https://twitter.com/23andMe/status/1190299652941180928?s=20&amp;t=99fTMJyEprlwqLbHhDtYxw"> life-sized DNA test kit</a> for Halloween to reference an eponymous lyric in her hit song “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P00HMxdsVZI">Truth Hurts</a>.”
Throughout the years, we’ve appeared in various corners of pop culture. We’ve been the punch line on the<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ayIJed2dn4"> Late Show</a> and a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYFfkBSo2mg&amp;t=2023s">public gift</a> for an award-winning musician. We’ve even shown up on an <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-and-you/23andmes-homage-to-jeopardy/">episode of a popular quiz show</a> when this clue was read to participants:
 “The “23” of 23andMe.com, a site tracing ancestry and personal genetic information, refers to pairs of these…”
 The answer? “What are chromosomes?”

<h6>12. Lemonaid joins the 23andMe team</h6>
We acquired <a href="https://www.lemonaidhealth.com">Lemonaid Health</a> in November 2021 as part of our commitment to make personalized healthcare a reality. Lemonaid, a telehealth and pharmacy company, focuses on delivering individualized, affordable care. Anne described the significance of the merger in an <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/23andme-to-acquire-lemonaid-health/">announcement</a>:
“We are acquiring Lemonaid Health so that we can bring true personalized healthcare to 23andMe customers. Personalized healthcare means healthcare that is based on the combination of your genes, your environment, and your lifestyle — with recommendations and plans that are specific to you.”

<h6>13. “What am I made of?”</h6>
We started 23andMe to make a difference in the lives of customers like Sheila, who connected with her birth mother and siblings after years of wondering, “What am I made of? What makes me, me?” 
Sheila called her reunion with family a gift. “This is a gift of family. What a blessing.”
[vc_video link=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViLmlrqEC74&#8243;]
<h6>14. 23ME-00610</h6>
 Our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/therapeutics/pipeline/">therapeutics team</a> began <a href="https://investors.23andme.com/news-releases/news-release-details/23andme-initiates-phase-1-clinical-trial-first-wholly-owned">clinical trials</a> in early 2022 of our first drug developed entirely in-house. The drug, 23ME-00610, is an immune-oncology antibody aimed at treating tumors. The target for this antibody was identified using our proprietary genetic and health survey database.
“Our approach to drug discovery is driven by human genetics, and we have an incredibly large database from which to select and advance genetically validated targets more efficiently, and with a potentially higher probability of success, than traditional drug discovery methods currently allow,” explained Kenneth Hillan, our chief therapeutics officer.
“23ME-00610 is an exciting example of how we are translating our data into investigational therapeutics.

<h6>15. A culture of belonging</h6>
Blacks@, 23andShe, Femgineers, LGBTQ+, Neurodiversity, and 23andHear are just some of our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/diversity-equity-inclusion/">Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)</a>, which provide a place for employees with shared interests and experiences to gather and build community. 
Lauren Trusheim, a business analyst and member of 23andShe, shared what she loved about her group: 
“[23andShe] is a space for women to come together and learn from each other. Fostering a strong support system is essential for happiness and success both personally and professionally.”

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="889" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-copy.png" alt="" class="wp-image-29736" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-copy.png 2000w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-copy-300x133.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-copy-768x341.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-copy-1024x455.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-copy-880x391.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-copy-1180x525.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>
 
<h6>16. Celebrating – it’s in our DNA</h6>
Since day one, our employees (and their furry friends) have been at the core of everything we do. Here are a few photos from an internal celebration of our Sweet 16. 

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="889" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-copy-2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-29737" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-copy-2.png 2000w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-copy-2-300x133.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-copy-2-768x341.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-copy-2-1024x455.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-copy-2-880x391.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Lakshmi-copy-2-1180x525.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>

23andMe at 16

By Jodee Prouse
I believe nothing is more important than family. But what do I mean when I say family? For me, it’s about more than the DNA we share. A surprise in my 23andMe report only made that belief stronger. 
What all this means for me is complicated by the fact that I’m estranged from members of my own immediate family. My relationships with my dad, my mom, and my sister broke down due to alcoholism and continued unhealthy family patterns. 
Our problems with alcohol were deep, starting with my dad’s drinking, which led to my parent’s divorce when I was eight. And it was alcohol addiction and mental illness that took my brother Brett —who also happened to be my greatest friend— when he took his own life in 2012.
For many reasons, including my own happiness and well-being and that of my husband and our own two sons, I made the painful decision to continue to love my father, mother, and sister from afar. I ceased all contact with them more than ten years ago.
<h6>Looking at Family Connections</h6>
So why did I decide to use 23andMe and peer into the genetics that our family shares?
<div id="attachment_29684" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29684" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Jodee-her-brother-300x236.webp" alt="Jodee, as a young girl, and her baby brother Brett" width="300" height="236" class="size-medium wp-image-29684" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Jodee-her-brother-300x236.webp 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Jodee-her-brother.webp 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Jodee and her little brother Brett, soon after his birth.</div>
In part, it’s because I’m drawn to the idea of understanding more about my connections to generations past. I have always known about my dad’s side and their roots in England. But I knew little about my mother’s side of the family. Growing up, I only met my mom’s parents, her sister, and that sister’s children, my two cousins. I never met, nor did my mother mention any of her aunts, uncles, cousins, or even grandparents. They were a mystery to me.
After sending in my sample to 23andMe late last year, I was so eager to get the reports I felt like a kid waiting to open presents on Christmas morning. When I finally opened my reports, I was actually a little letdown. The results confirmed that my ancestry on both sides of the family was mostly British. I opted in and looked over my health reports, too, which were interesting, but the unexpected information didn’t come until later. 
<h6>A Shocking Discovery</h6>
Just a few weeks after those initial results, I got an email alerting me to a message. I had opted in to participate in DNA Relatives and someone with whom I shared DNA had sent me a message. I logged in to read it.
“Hey Jodee, My name’s James Dodds and 23andMe says that we may be half-siblings,” the message began. “My dad, Jim Dodds, was from Ponoka, Canada, so I am wondering if that’s the connection. He was born in 1946.”
I’d never heard the name “Dodds” before, but Ponoka is near where I live now, in Alberta, and  near where my mother was born and grew up. I was in complete shock. I responded within ten minutes. When I shared it with my husband that evening and with my two adult sons, now 29 and 31, they didn’t quite comprehend what it meant. I knew instantly. DNA doesn’t lie. I didn’t know how this happened, but I was confident that this man who messaged me, James Dodds, was my half-brother.
<h6>Coming to Terms</h6>
After the initial shock wore off, the emotions flooded in. I was inundated with random memories, like my dad saving me from drowning when, as a five-year-old, I had walked off the edge of a pier during summer vacation. And I remembered his family, my grandma’s loving face, and the big Christmas get-togethers with everyone at my house. My earliest memory is of looking inside eggs using a red light with his dad, my grandfather, when I was three or four. I remembered being the oldest grandchild among all my cousins. And I remembered my dad’s siblings—Uncle Les, Auntie Myrna, and Auntie Mary—all of whom have stood by me and supported me through my life’s journey, never judging or condemning me or taking sides when it came to my complicated relationship with my father. They have loved me unconditionally while loving their brother, too. I LOVE my family. They are my family.
My heart shattered thinking that might not be true anymore. I also wondered, how did this happen?
<h6>The Backstory</h6>
I knew my mother was pregnant when she married my father, and their marriage wasn’t blissful, but I wanted to know more. Though it had been a long time since we’d spoken, I sent her an email asking about her connection and relationship with Jim Dodds. 
I knew my email would come as a shock to her. So I waited for her response.The next morning she replied: 
“I dated someone with that name when I was 18.” 
This confirmed my initial instinct: Jim Dodds was my biological father.
I don’t think anyone would ever blame me if I was angry at my mother, but that’s not what I felt. Instead, I reached out to her to talk and we decided to meet face to face for the first time in almost a decade.    
My mother explained she had fallen in love with a bull rider, Jim Dodds. But she was so young and had already experienced trauma in her life. And she had a past relationship with my father. They had a daughter together four years before I was born, in 1964, and my mom had to give her up for adoption. When she got pregnant at 19, she broke things off with Jim and told him she was getting married without ever mentioning her pregnancy. She believed my dad was my biological father.
<h6>The Meaning of Family</h6>
I was devastated when I learned that my dad wasn’t my birth father. But I realized that family is so much more than being related by blood or sharing DNA. It is about being there for each other through the good times, and especially the bad. It is the relationships in our lives that provide a sense of security and belonging. It is the people that hold your heart gently in their hands. It is about feeling that you are in a safe space, no matter what you share. Family is about feeling valued, respected, and understood. It is being able to say you are sorry when someone says you hurt them.
I am incredibly blessed to have so many relationships like this in my life. And I’m not alone in that feeling. We live in a world where the definition of family has expanded. Children continue to be adopted, people get divorced and then remarried with blended families, foster parents care for children, and individuals pursue parenthood and family through routes like surrogacy and IVF. There are so many scenarios, and all of those people are no less loved, no less connected, and no less family than those that share DNA. The one crucial ingredient is love. I always knew this; it just took a few days to catch my breath and realize it.
Today, I am still processing this news. 
As much as my dad and I had our own challenges throughout the course of our lives, I loved him very much. I never wished for a different father. 
I also regret that my biological father Jim passed away in 2021 before we could meet. He will never know that I was born. He will never know his amazing grandsons.
Yet I’ve realized that if this hadn’t been kept a secret, my life wouldn’t have been enriched by the people I love most. So, as hard as it has been to work through all of my emotions about this revelation, I feel my life is as it should be.
I would never want to alter the course of fate. I love my family and was always meant to be Brett’s sister.

Jodee, as a young girl, and her baby brother Brett

A 23andMe Customer Reflects on the Meaning of Family  

The numbers are staggering.&nbsp;
In the last two decades, the number of Americans with <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/type-2-diabetes/">Type 2 diabetes</a> has reached epidemic proportions. More<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/type2.html"> than a third</a> of adults in the United States are pre-diabetic. The vast majority of them, 84 percent, don&#8217;t even know they are at risk.&nbsp;
About 34 million people in the US have diabetes, and 20 percent don&#8217;t know it. Type 2 diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. The costs for treating those with diabetes are estimated to be more than $327 billion annually, according to the<a href="https://www.diabetes.org/resources/statistics/cost-diabetes"> American Diabetes Association.</a>
<h6>Preventable</h6>
Delayed diagnosis for those who are pre-diabetic as well as those who have already developed type 2 diabetes, hampers effective treatment. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than seven million people in the United States have undiagnosed diabetes. And more than 80 million&nbsp;are pre-diabetic and at risk.
This is all for a largely preventable condition.
Like a lot of different conditions, early diagnosis or more accurate predictors for risk could help those at the highest risk for type 2 diabetes. Right now, the process by which we screen for the risk of developing type 2 diabetes relies primarily on age, family history, and body mass index (BMI). But a recent study by researchers from 23andMe identified how we could improve that, offering hope to identify people sooner who have an increased likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.
<h6>Improving Screening</h6>
The study, published in a special issue of the journal<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/23213/dna-based-population-screening-for-precision-public-health"> Frontiers in Genetics</a> found that adding genetics in the form of a polygenic risk model to family health history and BMI can substantially improve current screening for type 2 diabetes.
“Type 2 diabetes is an enormous public health issue affecting millions of people in the United States alone,” said Jeff Pollard, MD, 23andMe’s Director of Medical Affairs and a co-author of the study. “This paper shows that using a polygenic risk model for T2D adds information that is separate from family history, countering one major argument against the utility of using this kind of polygenic risk model in population screening.”
Not only does adding the polygenic risk model improve screening for those at risk for type 2 diabetes, but it would also identify slightly more individuals with type 2 diabetes who simply don’t yet know they have it. This offers opportunities for earlier treatment for those with the condition and prevention for those who have not yet developed type 2 diabetes.
<h6>Polygenic Scores</h6>
Over the last several years, scientists have developed so-called polygenic scores that rely on large sets of genetic and non-genetic data to better calculate disease risk. For this study 23andMe, researchers relied on data from more than 3.8 million 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research. Then our scientists combined results from several genome-wide association studies to identify more than 11,000 genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes. From there, researchers built a model to assess the likelihood of developing the condition. 
The field of genetic prediction has relied mostly on data from participants of European descent, and the lack of global representation has often meant that polygenic scores developed in one population don&#8217;t work as well in others. In this study, however, 23andMe scientists were able to show that the PGS would help in screening practices in the Hispanic/Latino community as well.
Although 23andMe uses a polygenic risk score for its<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/type-2-diabetes/"> Type 2 Diabetes Report (Powered by 23andMe research)</a>, it is not the same as the polygenic risk score used in this research. The T2D report calculates a polygenic score based on more than 1000 genetic variants, the research is based on a model that includes 11,999 variants. In addition, the report also relied on phenotypic data from more than 1.1 million 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research. While the research included phenotypic data from more than 1.6 million customers who consented to participate in research.

<hr>
Read more posts on type 2 diabetes and polygenic scores:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/type-2-diabetes-data/">23andMe Data on the Genetics of Type 2 Diabetes</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/spit-podcast-takes-on-type-2-diabetes/">Spit Podcast Takes on Type 2 Diabetes</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/type-2-diabetes/">23andMe Offers New Genetic Report on Type 2 Diabetes</a></li>
</ul>

Improving Screening for Type 2 Diabetes

This week, we released a new report on Glaucoma for 23andMe+ Premium members.
 Glaucoma refers to a group of eye conditions that cause damage to the optic nerve, which relays information from the eye to the brain. This damage, usually caused by an imbalance of fluid and pressure in the eye, can result in gradual vision loss that may start as blind spots or loss of side (peripheral) vision and worsen over time. 
 Over three<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/resources/features/glaucoma-awareness.html"> million Americans</a> have glaucoma, and it is the second-leading cause of blindness after macular degeneration. The condition is more prevalent among<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/resources/features/glaucoma-awareness.html"> certain groups</a>, including individuals over 60, Black Americans over 40, and individuals with certain health conditions, like high blood pressure and diabetes. It can also run in families.
<h6> About Glaucoma</h6>
There are<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/glaucoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20372839#:~:text=Angle%2Dclosure%20glaucoma%2C%20also%20called,the%20eye%20and%20pressure%20increases."> several types</a> of glaucoma. The most common, open-angle glaucoma, happens when a buildup of protein in the eye prevents fluid from draining, causing pressure in the eye to rise slowly. A second type, called angle-closure glaucoma, occurs when the iris bulges forward, blocking the drainage angle formed by the cornea and iris. Onset can be gradual or sudden.
 Symptoms vary depending on the type and stage of the condition. Signs of gradual onset glaucoma include loss of side (peripheral) vision and blind spots. Signs of sudden onset include headaches, severe eye pain, vision loss, nausea, and vomiting. 
<h6>A New Report</h6>
 The new report, which is powered by data from consented 23andMe research participants, uses machine learning techniques to estimate an individual’s likelihood of developing both open-angle and closed-angle glaucoma.
 This estimate is made using a statistical model that includes more than 8,000 genetic markers and information on an individual’s ethnicity and birth sex.
<h6> Taking Action</h6>
 While early management and medical treatment can slow the progression of glaucoma, there is no cure.
 Several lifestyle interventions have been shown to help manage eye pressure and slow vision loss. Getting regular, moderate exercise can help, as can avoiding inverted yoga positions and other activities that may increase eye pressure. Wearing eye protection to prevent injuries and limiting caffeine consumption is also recommended. 
<h6> Learn More</h6>
 23andMe’s new Glaucoma Report (Powered by 23andMe Research) is available to all annual members of the 23andMe+ Premium membership. To view your report, go <a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/prs.glaucoma/">here</a>.
Not yet an annual subscriber to the 23andMe+ Premium membership?
Find out more <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">here</a>.

New 23andMe+ Premium Report on Glaucoma

We rightfully honor Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, but for those of us to be lucky enough to have them, Sibling’s Day can be just as powerful. 
This year, Siblings Day is particularly memorable for Victor Farr, a 20-year-old student from Florida who recently met his biological sister Eva for the first time. 
For 18-year-old Eva, who’s also from Florida, it’s even more than that. She’d been searching for connections to her birth family for years. In a message she sent to Victor before they met in person, she wrote:
“My heart and soul have been lost without you for the past eighteen years. I kept wondering, will I ever get a sibling? ‘Will God answer my prayers and put a sibling at my feet?’”
When they met for the first time in a small café, they enveloped each other in a prolonged embrace. There were no words.
“To be connected with a biological sibling is more than a feeling,” Victor said. “It brings the sense of connection and understanding of who I really am.”
Eva was both overwhelmed and overjoyed. An only child adopted by a single mom, she’d been searching for her birth family for years.
For Victor, the moment was equally emotionally loaded but a little different. He knows he’s lucky to have had older sisters who took care of him after he was adopted from Guatemala as a baby. Victor shares with them the bond that comes with growing up in the same household. A shared history and the unspoken understanding that comes with knowing someone from the time before you could talk.
But as an adoptee, Victor also had a hidden history. He never knew much about his origins, his birth parents’ story, or the context that comes with knowing all that. Victor wasn’t haunted by all that. Long ago, he’d come to terms with probably never knowing. 
But on Christmas in 2020 his adoptive father gave him 23andMe as a gift. Victor didn’t expect to find family; he thought using 23andMe might help him learn more about his heritage and mix of indigenous, Iberian, and European ancestry that often is part of being Guatemalan. Although he was curious, it still took him months to actually send in his kit for testing. And he was slow to actually open up his results. That didn’t happen until mid-2021. He was stunned by what he found.
“I was blown away,” he said.
Before that moment, Victor only knew that he came from Guatemala, and from his adoption records, he had his mother’s name. But after opening his 23andMe results, he decided to opt in to participate in DNA Relatives and found that at the top of his list was a full biological sister named Eva. He struggled a bit with what to say to her at first.
“What do you say in a message like that?” he said.
But eventually sent her a simple message and asked to connect, and a few days later she responded.
“It’s miraculous, such a blessing,” said Victor, who is studying for the ministry.
The two exchanged messages and learned that they’d grown up not very far apart. She’s at a small college that Victor had considered attending. He marveled at the idea that they could have been on the same campus or crossed paths and never have known they were siblings.
For both of them, making the connection helped to fill in gaps in their background and grounded them. Eva had a bit more information on their birth mother, and even a photo.
Seeing his mother’s face sent a wave of emotion over him.
 &#8220;It was overwhelming,” Victor said. “I had hoped and dreamed that maybe I might be able to see her one day. Seeing that photo was so emotional.&#8221;
But it was meeting Eva in person, seeing himself in her features, talking to someone who shared history – that up until then had been hidden to both of them – that was life-changing, he said.
&#8220;She&#8217;s like a female version of my younger self,&#8221; he said.
Beyond the shared DNA and the resemblance, Victor said he felt something more. Two years older, Victor suddenly felt something new — the responsibility of being an older brother. On his way to their first in-person meeting, he’d told himself to project confidence because he thought that maybe Eva would feel “shy and overwhelmed.”
“Radiate your light and calmness so she may find herself comfortable,” he told himself.
Since that first meeting, his identity as an older brother has only grown stronger. 
“To be connected with Eva gives me a sense of identity,” Victor said. “I am an older brother who loves and serves his little sister.”

Celebrating National Sibling Day with Victor and Eva

A 23andMe study published this month provides insight into the cause and overlapping genetics of two mental health disorders – depression and bipolar disorder.  
The National Institutes of Health estimates that more than 16 million Americans are affected by depression each year, while nearly 6 million Americans have bipolar disorder.
Genetics and environmental factors — childhood trauma and poverty, for instance — influence the development of both depression and bipolar disorder. Understanding the interplay between those two factors may help researchers develop more targeted treatments. 
<h2>AFFECT Study</h2>
The study, known as the<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-022-01877-2.pdf?proof=t%3B%5D"> Affective disorders, Environment, and Cognitive Trait (AFFECT) study</a>, looked at data from about 50,000 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research over more than nine months. The study was conducted in collaboration with Lundbeck, a company dedicated to restoring brain health. The research provides a highly valuable real-world dataset, deepening our understanding of two of the most highly impactful mood disorders. Of those participating, 15,000 reported a diagnosis of major depression, and almost 10,000 reported that they had bipolar disorder. The remaining individuals reported having neither condition.
The study collected self-reported data and included background health and demographic information. In addition to genetic data, it incorporated information from a series of online surveys, behavioral assessments, and cognitive tests. 
“The AFFECT study represents a unique resource for dissecting the structure of mood disorders across multiple levels of analysis,” the researchers said. In addition, the study&#8217;s fully remote nature provides valuable insights for future virtual and decentralized clinical trials within mood disorders.”
<h2>Results Consistent with Previous Studies</h2>
While these two conditions are different, they share many of the same symptoms. These similarities reinforce the notion that the conditions may fall across a spectrum. Among those overlapping symptoms, the most common were depression, mania, anxiety, and indistinct physical aches and pains. While both those with major depression and bipolar disorder reported sleep problems or substance abuse issues, those two issues were more common among those with bipolar disorder and, according to the researchers, were one of the strongest differentiation points between the two conditions. The study found that symptoms for both conditions often began in pre-teens and often involved some sort of childhood trauma; about 63 percent of those with depression or bipolar disorder reported an adverse childhood experience.
The study is another in a series of studies that 23andMe has either directed or contributed data to advance our understanding of depression and bipolar disorder. The most recent was<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/genetics-of-depression/"> a study last year</a> by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs that included data from more than 1.2 million individuals. 23andMe also contributed data used in a <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/new-insights-into-the-genetics-of-depression/">genetic study</a> by the University of Edinburgh published in the journal<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-018-0326-7"> Nature Neuroscience</a> three years ago. Each has uncovered new genetic associations with the two conditions. 
Researchers will continue to study the data from the AFFECT study to find clues about how genetics and environmental factors may combine to impact brain function.

A Glimpse at Depression and Bipolar Disorder Study

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23andMe has landed on<a href="https://www.comparably.com/"> Comparably’s</a> 2022 list of<a href="https://www.comparably.com/awards/winners/best-company-bay-area-2022"> Best Places to Work in the San Francisco Bay Area</a>.
 The list is based on sentiment ratings provided by current employees across almost 20 workplace culture categories, including leadership, development opportunities, and work-life balance.
 23andMe ranked<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/leading-companies-in-bay-area-according-to-employees-2022-3#24-strava-2"> No. 25</a> out of 50 companies.
 In an anonymous review, one 23andMe employee described the company as “a great overall experience,” with “nice people to work with, lots of career growth opportunities, and a fun work environment.”

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