A new genetic study looking at smoking and drinking has confirmed much of what we already know about their impact on your health, but the study also found genetic associations that offer new insights into alcohol and tobacco use, as well as addiction.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Smoking-image-2-300x201.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26841" width="300" height="201" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Smoking-image-2-300x201.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Smoking-image-2-768x514.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Smoking-image-2-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Smoking-image-2-880x589.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Smoking-image-2-1180x790.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Smoking-image-2.jpg 1252w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Published this week in the journal<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41588-018-0307-5"> Nature Genetics</a>, the study is one of the largest genome-wide association studies to date, using data from more than 1.2 million people. Researchers working on this study found more than 500 genetic variants associated with smoking and alcohol use, including newly identified genetic associations that link alcohol and tobacco use with the release of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine plays an essential role in reward-based behavior, and the finding may help researchers better understand why quitting smoking or problem drinking is more difficult for some than it is for others.
<h6>Smoking, Drinking and Disease</h6>
The study also showed that tobacco use was closely associated with a range of diseases — not just lung cancer. While that was not unexpected, the researchers were surprised that social drinkers — those who drank a moderate amount of alcohol each week — had fewer illnesses. This adds more fodder to the debate around whether moderate drinking may be beneficial to one’s health. Of course, there may be other explanations for this; for example, individuals who are more open and extraverted may be more likely to be social drinkers, and individuals with outgoing personalities may have better outcomes than those who are more anxious and less social, who in turn may be less likely to drink.
Much of the data for this study came from 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research and answered survey questions about smoking and drinking. The remaining data came from more than two-dozen other study cohorts. Led by researchers at the University of Minnesota, the work on this study also involved contributions from dozens of other scientists from institutions that are part of<a href="https://gscan.sph.umich.edu/"> GWAS &amp; Sequencing Consortium of Alcohol and Nicotine Us (GSCAN)</a>.
<h6>Other Studies</h6>
This is one of several genetic studies published in the last few months to look at addictive behavior, including alcohol and nicotine use. In November, a team of researchers<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/new-research-shows-shared-genetic-link-between-alcohol-dependence-and-psychiatric-disorders/"> found shared genetic influences</a> between alcohol dependence and depression, ADHD, and schizophrenia. They also looked at genetic correlations between alcohol dependence and individual traits, like nicotine addiction, depression, and BMI. That study also found a distinct difference between casual alcohol consumption and heavier alcohol use, suggesting that social drinking is not associated with depression, but problem drinking and alcoholism are.
Another study on<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/the-genetics-of-alcoholism/"> alcohol dependence</a> published last fall also found genetic associations that overlapped with increased genetic risk for major depression, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
The GSCAN study published this week adds to these previous findings, offering more information to better understand the genetics of substance use and addiction.
You can find the paper in<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41588-018-0307-5"> Nature Genetics</a>.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Genetic Study of Nicotine and Alcohol Use Offers Insight into Addiction

When it comes to calculating 23andMe customers’ Ancestry Composition results, details are invariably what matter most: more specificity, more interactivity, more <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-300x297.png" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26832" width="300" height="297" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-300x297.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-768x759.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-1024x1012.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-880x870.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-1180x1166.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square.png 1212w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />opportunities to draw meaning about how we are all genetically connected to people around the globe. 
In service to this idea, 23andMe has added a trove of content-rich new pages called Ancestry Detail Reports, which offer a more granular view of your ancestry, snapshots of the places and people to which your DNA connects you, and more. This update comes in tandem with an array of improvements and new features to the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry">Ancestry experience</a>, including a new interactive map of your <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">DNA Relatives</a> and enhanced look and feel on mobile and desktop.
We are now offering more than 30 new population-specific pages called Ancestry Detail Reports, as well as evaluating each customer’s ancestry based on more than 1,000 specific regions. 
Ancestry Detail Reports provide a closer look at each of the global populations currently included in our Ancestry Composition feature, enabling customers to explore their own genetic heritage while also learning about other populations included in Ancestry Composition. The creation of this additional layer of detail comes in direct response to requests from our customers for more granularity and additional content in Ancestry Composition.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ac_pop@3x-992x1024.png" alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-26813 size-large" title="Ancestry Composition and Ancestry in Detail Pages" width="992" height="1024" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ac_pop@3x-992x1024.png 992w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ac_pop@3x-291x300.png 291w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ac_pop@3x-768x793.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ac_pop@3x-852x880.png 852w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ac_pop@3x-1143x1180.png 1143w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 992px) 100vw, 992px" />

<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 350px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
<h6 style="text-align: center;"> Improvements to 23andMe’s Ancestry Experience</h6>
<ul>
<li>30+ new Ancestry Detail Reports with regional maps for our most refined view of your ancestry.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>1000+ regions now included in Ancestry Composition.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://you.23andme.com/tools/relatives/map/">Interactive map</a> of where your DNA Relatives call home.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://you.23andme.com/ancestry/">Ancestry Overview</a> on desktop and mobile functions like a homepage for all your Ancestry reports, enabling exploration and discovery. </li>
</ul>
<ul></ul>

<ul>
<li>
More African and East Asian populations now available for all customers (first released in September 2018).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h6></h6>
If you are a 23andMe customer, you can find your specific Ancestry Detail Reports (and explore all possible Ancestry Detail Reports) in a few ways. 
<ul>
<li>The easiest path is navigating to your <a href="https://you.23andme.com/ancestry/">Ancestry Overview</a> and clicking on each featured population under your Ancestry Composition summary. </li>
<li>You can also find these pages by clicking on the <a href="https://you.23andme.com/ancestry/all-reports/">All Reports</a> tab in your Ancestry Overview and looking under Ancestry Composition. There, you can easily view all of the more than 30 new reports and learn more about the diverse populations included in Ancestry Composition. </li>
</ul>
On the 23andMe Mobile Apps, you should see a list of featured populations under your Ancestry Composition results in the Ancestry tab. 
&nbsp;
<h6>A Deeper Dive</h6>
Let’s take a deeper dive into the Ancestry Detail Reports, and learn more about what you’ll discover when you view them. 
&nbsp;
If you’ve been assigned one or more “Recent Ancestor Locations” — these are indicated by the country and territory names you may see listed in your Ancestry Composition summary — you will also likely receive a more detailed map of your results on the associated Ancestry Detail Report. These maps may include the specific states or even counties where we have found evidence of your family’s recent ancestry. The stronger the evidence of a given ancestry, the  higher ranking on the adjacent list and darker the shading is for that region. This new “live” map with specific regional breakdowns will continuously update over time to reflect the growing number of individuals from around the world in 23andMe’s database. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/maps@3x-1024x473.png" alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-26822 size-large" title="Ancestry in Detail, India and China" width="1024" height="473" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/maps@3x-1024x473.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/maps@3x-300x139.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/maps@3x-768x355.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/maps@3x-880x407.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/maps@3x-1180x545.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
&nbsp;
A number of the Ancestry Detail Reports contain immersive educational materials that provide further context around each population’s genetics, demographics, history, and more. Curated and written by 23andMe’s scientists, these materials aim to help customers learn important information about their genetic ancestry. These reports can also be used to learn about diverse populations with which you are not genetically connected, but may be curious about.
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/genetics@3x-1024x630.png" alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-26817 size-large" title="Hunter Gathers and Ashkenazi" width="1024" height="630" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/genetics@3x-1024x630.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/genetics@3x-300x184.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/genetics@3x-768x472.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/genetics@3x-880x541.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/genetics@3x-1180x726.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Snapshots</h6>
Another layer to the Ancestry Detail Reports are Snapshots — a handful of researched and reported stories that provide glimpses into the many nuances that make each ancestral population unique. Snapshot topics include: Talk the Talk (words and phrases unique to one of the languages spoken by each population), Ancestry Eats (traditional foods and beverages), Sights to See (off-the-beaten-path travel tips and important landmarks), Natural Wonders, Celebrations, Crafts &amp; Traditions, and more. We encourage customers to contribute ideas for future Snapshots by clicking on the Customer Feedback bar located at the bottom of each Ancestry Detail Report. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/snapshots@3x-1014x1024.png" alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-26830 size-large" title="Snapshots, Sudan and Southeast Asia" width="1014" height="1024" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/snapshots@3x-1014x1024.png 1014w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/snapshots@3x-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/snapshots@3x-297x300.png 297w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/snapshots@3x-768x775.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/snapshots@3x-872x880.png 872w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/snapshots@3x-1169x1180.png 1169w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1014px) 100vw, 1014px" />Lastly, at the bottom of each Ancestry Detail Report, customers who have chosen to participate in the DNA Relatives tool can view their relatives who share ancestry from that particular population. For example, a customer with 20 percent Italian ancestry or 55 percent Vietnamese ancestry would see the profile names and profile images of some of their relatives connected to those populations. The content on each Ancestry Detail Report may provide inspiration for starting a conversation with those relatives about your genetic heritage. 
&nbsp;
This new paradigm for exploring Ancestry results on a deeper, more actionable level will set the standard for future updates to the Ancestry Composition experience. Since Ancestry Composition is truly a “living analysis” of your DNA that reflects our growing database, 23andMe will continue to update the  Ancestry Detail Reports at a county and state-level to provide an ever-closer view of your ancestry. Though country and territory maps may not yet be available for every customer, our intent is that this will change as our database continues to expand and diversify.
&nbsp;
23andMe customers can go to their <a href="https://you.23andme.com/ancestry/">Ancestry Overview</a> to start exploring. Not yet a customer? Find out more about 23andMe’s Ancestry service <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">here</a>.

More Regions for Most Refined View of Ancestry To-Date

A massive new study that included data from more than a million people suggests that genetics may nudge some individuals toward taking risks like smoking, drinking, and speeding.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-26803 size-medium" title="risk taking, risky behavior, parachute, skydiving" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/riskparachute-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/riskparachute-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/riskparachute-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/riskparachute-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/riskparachute-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/riskparachute-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/riskparachute.jpg 1254w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Conducted by an international team of scientists led by researchers from the Social Science Genetic Association Consortium (SSGAC), the study published today in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41588-018-0309-3">Nature Genetics</a> identified 124 genetic variants associated with a person&#8217;s willingness for taking risks. The study looked at a person’s propensity for “risky behaviors” like smoking, drinking, driving fast, and having multiple sexual partners.
“Risk tolerance is a fundamental parameter in the behavioral sciences and has been widely studied in social science genetics,” said Jonathan Beauchamp of the SSGAC, a lead researcher on this paper and an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. “But until now few genetic variants had been robustly linked to risk tolerance. The study is an effort to get a fuller picture of the genetic factors involved and is a first step towards understanding how those factors interact with environmental factors to influence risk-taking.”

<h2>The Role of Genetics</h2>
The focus of the new research looks at genetic influence, but researchers note that environmental, cultural and demographic circumstances play a much more significant role in a person’s tolerance for risk. The study, however, illustrates that genetics has a small but important role. The genetic variants identified account for just a fraction of the difference in risk tolerance observed between groups of people. By using a “polygenetic” score the researchers were able to capture the combined effect of a million genetic variants. Together these variants allowed the reserachers to estimate that genetics accounts for about 1.6 percent of the variation in risk tolerance across individuals.
The genetic associations point to the role of genes that regulate neurotransmitters such as glutamate and GABA, which are chemical messengers that both stimulate and calm the brain.
This study is significant on many levels. For one, risk tolerance is among the most intensively studied traits in social science, because it plays a role in predicting economic and social outcomes as well as personality measures. This study may also contribute to the debate around whether having a risk tolerance in one area, say a willingness to bungee jump, corresponds with taking a risk in another realm, like taking a risk financially. The researchers found evidence of shared genetic influences across risk tolerance and risky behaviors.
“Genetic variants associated with more risk tolerance tend to also be associated with more speeding, drinking, smoking, and cannabis consumption, and with riskier investments and sexual behavior,” Beauchamp said.
<h2>Study Size</h2>
The study is also significant for its size. It dwarfs past genetic research on risk tolerance and risky behavior that relied on data from perhaps a few hundred or a few thousand individuals. In this work, the researchers look at data from more than a million people including data from about 500,000<a href="https://research.23andme.com/"> 23andMe</a> customers who consented to participate in research. An almost equally large set of data from the<a href="https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/"> UK Biobank</a> was also included in the study. The researchers then replicated their findings using data from about ten other small studies. The massive sample size for this study — orders of magnitude larger than previous genetic studies on risk tolerance — allowed researchers to see associations they were not able to see before.
“The study illustrates the power of big data and the potential of the research model pioneered by 23andMe,” said David Hinds, Ph.D., a research fellow and statistical geneticist at 23andMe. “AT the same time it is important to point out that these results do not explain much of the variation in risk tolerance. More work is needed.&#8221;
23andMe data has helped this same group of researchers, the Social Science Genetic Association Genetic Consortium, to complete a series of similarly large studies into such things as<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0147-3.epdf?author_access_token=mOl3bhpk8c_xDeys2HqzLtRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0Nqad92v-7y1ilkmPqR7KMJHDW55vpz34OKXMkmhVwlgvPoaqODhnDKkVq1UFW2F8gQupoTN2ZHfreXqFs1jFbMOR4l0MzK7mNxPA9U6Agilg%3D%3D"> educational attainment</a>,<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ng.3552"> depression and subjective well-being</a>.

The Genetics of Taking Risks

(Editor&#8217;s note: 1/14/19) We want to clarify a few points on the science involved in the integration. Our science and research teams recognize that the data related to how genetics interacts with diet being studied. This program is not intended to suggest a specific diet based solely on one’s genetic information. 
Rather, by integrating information from 23andMe into Lark’s proven and peer-reviewed AI coaching programs for diabetes prevention and weight loss, there is simply an added layer of personalization for customers. The integration uses information from a number of reports already available to 23andMe customers. Those include 23andMe&#8217;s reports on Genetic Weight, Saturated Fat and Weight, Lactose Intolerance, Caffeine Consumption, <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/wellness/deep-sleep">Deep Sleep</a>, Sleep Movement, Bitter Taste and Sweet v. Salty Preference. 
The genetic interpretations presented in the programs are not being used as part of the major decision points in Lark’s recommendations. Instead, they serve as triggers or motivators to do things Lark would already suggest. For example, if your 23andMe report says you’re likely to be <a href="http://www.23andme.com/topics/wellness/lactose-intolerance/">lactose intolerant</a>, the Lark program might ask you if you would like lactose-free diet recommendations. 
To help you take the next step in your wellness journey, Lark and 23andMe have teamed up to offer customers the opportunity to integrate their genetic results into coaching programs to spur you toward your health goals this year.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Lark_blog_300x200_fitness@2x-1-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26807" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Lark_blog_300x200_fitness@2x-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Lark_blog_300x200_fitness@2x-1.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Lark offers a new type of coaching program. This is built using artificial intelligence (AI) to help you make healthy lifestyle choices. Lark provides two options — a Wellness Program, for weight loss, and a CDC-recognized Diabetes Prevention Program. 
<h6>Digital Coaching</h6>
Both leverage your 23andMe genetic information using clinically validated A.I. to generate personalized suggestions for diet and exercise. These digital coaching programs are also 23andMe’s first forays into using genetic data to deliver these kinds of tailored recommendations. 
They could mark “a turning point for driving more effective behavior change,” said Robert Gabbay, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President at Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard and Lark Health’s Senior Medical Advisor.
<h6>Personalized Coaching</h6>
So how do you get access to this supportive and personalized coaching to help you reach your day-to-day health goals?
It&#8217;s simple enough for <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry">23andMe Health + Ancestry</a> customers to opt into and use the programs. But that ease of use belies the sophistication of what’s going on in the background.
The programs are personalized by 23andMe research that’s identified not just how genetics can impact weight. They also look at how lifestyle choices — for things like diet, exercise, and sleep — may play a role. The programs also integrate customers’ individual genetic information from several 23andMe weight and diet-related reports. These are used with Lark’s A.I. coaching program to serve up tailor-made recommendations for users. And best of all this helpful coach is available every day 24-7.
<h6>What does that really mean? <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Lark_blog_300x200_food@2x-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26798" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Lark_blog_300x200_food@2x-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Lark_blog_300x200_food@2x.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></h6>
It means that instead of just getting generic advice about eating less and exercising more. The application can, for example, use 23andMe’s Genetic Weight Report to rank the different impacts certain foods may have on an individual’s weight. Or the A.I. coach might make other personalized recommendations that are based on 23andMe reports that look at a person’s response to saturated fat, or lactose or their movement during sleep. And you can get that kind of personal advice any time you need it.
<h6>Here’s the breakdown on the Lark Apps: </h6>
<ul>
<li>The Wellness Program will tap into data from the 23andMe genetic reports, and the A.I. coach will focus on suggestions around nutrition, sleep, and exercise. The program can also seamlessly merge data from more than 70 other types of monitors or apps to incorporate that information that in turn can improve the personalization of the A.I. recommendations. To integrate Lark’s Wellness Program and use it with your 23andMe results, it will cost $19.99 a month. There is now a special introductory offer of just $14.99 per month.</li>
<li>The CDC-recognized Diabetes Prevention Program is a yearlong program meant to lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This program includes specialized coaching, a digital scale, and a Fitbit, and some insurance providers cover it. You can find out if you are eligible by downloading  Lark and taking a survey. For those who do not qualify for insurance coverage, they can still self-pay for the Diabetes Prevention Program. The price for this self-pay option includes a digital scale but not a Fitbit.</li>
</ul>
<h6>Taking Action</h6>
Taken together these two new programs are an exciting opportunity for 23andMe Health + Ancestry customers. This is not just because these programs can help nudge people toward their health goals, but also because they offer an actionable way for customers to use their genetic results to make lifestyle changes, something customers tell us they want.
“Access to your genetic information is really just the beginning — using that information to prevent serious health consequences is the next critical step,” said Anne Wojcicki, CEO and co-founder of 23andMe. “Our collaboration with Lark helps 23andMe customers use their genetic information to take action and make lifestyle changes that positively impact health and wellness.”
Not yet a 23andMe Health + Ancestry customer, but you want to take this next step? Find out more <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/">here</a>.
&nbsp;
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe loading="lazy" width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yzisO72sUGU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">?</iframe></div>

Your Digital Health Coach Is Here

Before we kick off the New Year, let’s look back and highlight a few important moments for us here at 23andMe in 2018.
The Power of Big Data
For some types of research, size really does matter. In the last year we’ve seen how very large genetic research datasets, like<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25916 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Data-Viz.jpg" alt="" width="1366" height="768" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Data-Viz.jpg 1366w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Data-Viz-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Data-Viz-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Data-Viz-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Data-Viz-880x495.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Data-Viz-1180x663.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px" />
The Power of Little Data
23andMe is rooted in science and research, and we now have<a href="https://www.23andme.com/publications/"> more than 110 papers</a> that have appeared in peer-reviewed publications. But along with taking this more traditional approach to publishing our scientific findings, 23andMe also sees the value in the smaller kind of outcomes and more non-traditional ways of sharing them. Often these findings or data points — like the genetics behind being<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/hangry-like-the-wolf/"> Hangry</a> or results from our first<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/23andme-secrets-good-nights-sleep/"> “intervention study”</a> on sleep, or whether people in the US are more likely to prefer sweet treats over salty ones — might not make it into a peer-reviewed journal. But this information is interesting to our customers who participate in research; it’s the difference between<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/big-r-and-little-r-research-at-23andme/"> “Big ‘R’ and Little ‘r’ Research.</a>” Sharing these findings is part of a two-way exchange with our customers, who are also our research participants, in the discoveries and insights they are helping our scientists uncover.
A Year of Firsts
In April 23andMe received the<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-28236 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cropped-23ANDME-LOGO.jpg" alt="" width="512" height="512" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cropped-23ANDME-LOGO.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cropped-23ANDME-LOGO.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cropped-23ANDME-LOGO.jpg 270w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cropped-23ANDME-LOGO.jpg 192w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cropped-23ANDME-LOGO.jpg 180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cropped-23ANDME-LOGO.jpg 32w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cropped-23ANDME-LOGO.jpg 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" />
Privacy Promise
At 23andMe our customers have always been at the core of what we do, and as such we’ve always taken privacy very seriously. In the last year, with new concerns over data privacy and security, we’ve helped to push for a broader adoption of strong privacy policies in the industry by joining forces with other genetic testing companies along with the non-profit organization<a href="https://fpf.org/about/"> Future of Privacy Forum</a> to issue a new <a href="https://fpf.org/2018/07/31/privacy-best-practices-for-consumer-genetic-testing-services/">Privacy Best Practices for Consumer Genetic Testing Services</a>. Much of the fundamental tenets of this policy have long been part of <a href="https://www.23andme.com/privacy/">23andMe’s privacy protections</a>, but the document offers a basic framework for the industry as a whole to safeguard consumer information, as well as guidelines for the collection, protection, sharing and use of genetic data generated from consumer genetic testing. People deserve to have their data protected, no matter which service or product they use, and to do that every genetic testing company should adhere to comprehensive privacy protections, and clearly communicate those policies to people interested in finding out more about what we do at 23andMe.
First People of the Americas
One of the most exciting aspects of genetic research is how often it reorients our understanding of the human story. That happened with two important papers that bookended 2018. Together they altered and deepened our understanding of the first people of the Americas. In separate studies, one published in<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature25173#author-information"> January</a> and the other in<a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2018/11/07/science.aav2621"> November</a>, an international team of researchers reported on the analysis of DNA sequences from ancient human remains — including the<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/science/native-americans-beringia-siberia.html?module=inline"> second oldest human remains</a> ever found in the Western Hemisphere. Together the studies not only more clearly indicate the timing of when the ancestors of Native Americans first came across the land bridge that once connected Siberia to Alaska — about 20,000 years ago — but the research also showed how those early waves of humans<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/31/science/americans-migration-dna.html"> splintered off</a> into two major ancestral groups — a northern and southern branch — and populated the North, South and Central America. The studies also indicate that there were other early Native Americans who once thrived but eventually, those populations died out. For us here at 23andMe, these kind of findings, in which genetic science is offering new insight into us as a people, is just another illustration of the power of DNA.

23andMe: Five Things from 2018

By Robert Gentleman and Yunru Huang*
As 2018 draws to a close, many people will be busy making plans — not just for celebrating on the 31st, but making resolutions to better themselves in the new year.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26754" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/iStock-840623032-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/iStock-840623032-300x199.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/iStock-840623032-768x509.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/iStock-840623032-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/iStock-840623032-880x583.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/iStock-840623032-1180x782.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Making a New Year’s resolution to improve yourself has <a href="https://www.history.com/news/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions">ancient roots, including the Romans</a>, who made promises to the god Janus. The tradition is still common today, as anyone who has tried to use a gym in January can attest. But by February, about 80 percent of resolution-makers have already abandoned their goals.
<h2>Why do some people succeed with their New Year&#8217;s Resolutions and others fail?</h2>
Scientists at 23andMe wanted to research why some of us fail and others succeed. Our team wanted to determine if genetic variants were associated with making and keeping resolutions. To test this hypothesis, we fielded a pair of questions to our customers who consented to participate in research. In March of each of the last three years, we posed the same set of questions to these customers. We asked:
<ul>
<li>“Did you make a New Year’s resolution this year?”
<div id="attachment_26756" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26756" class="size-medium wp-image-26756" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-1-Odds-ratio-plot-300x221.png" alt="" width="300" height="221" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-1-Odds-ratio-plot-300x221.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-1-Odds-ratio-plot.png 495w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Figure 1: Odds ratio plot in relationships between resolvers and demographic characteristics</div></li>
</ul>
If someone said “yes,” we then asked this follow-up question:
<ul>
<li>“How well have you been able to follow your New Year’s resolution until now?”</li>
</ul>
Answers were “very well,” “well,” “average,” “poorly,” or “very poorly.”
<h6>Resolvers and Adherers</h6>
Since some customers answered this question more than once (i.e., in different years), we combined the answers in the following way.  A person was deemed a “resolver” if they ever said they made a New Year&#8217;s resolution. They were deemed a “control” if they always said they did not. About 21 percent of participants were “resolvers.” Those who had made and kept a resolution were defined as “adherer” if they ever said they adhered to their resolutions “very well” or “well.” Those who said they performed “average,” “poorly,” or “very poorly” at adhering to their resolution were identified as “controls.” About 41 percent of “resolvers” were “adherers”. Our researchers then used this data to conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS).  In our model, we adjusted for age, sex and many quality control variables. We found that women are much more likely to make New Year’s resolutions than men and that the probability of making a New Year’s resolution declines with age (Figure 1).
<div id="attachment_26757" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26757" class="size-medium wp-image-26757" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-2-Odds-Ratio-Plot-300x230.png" alt="" width="300" height="230" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-2-Odds-Ratio-Plot-300x230.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-2-Odds-Ratio-Plot.png 479w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Figure 2: Odds ratio plot in relationships between adherers and demographic characteristics</div>
<h2>Findings</h2>
When we consider adhering to the resolution, the effects of age and sex are weaker and are in the other direction. Men are better adherers, and adherence tends to increase as you age (Figure 2). The “adherence” GWAS did not yield any genome-wide significant hits.  This analysis is still fairly underpowered, with only about 34,000 cases and 41,000 controls.  Our scientists will continue to send research participants the questions every spring, and hopefully, as the sample sizes grow, we will begin to detect interesting variants. There were three genome-wide significant hits for the “resolution” GWAS (Figure 3). 
Interestingly, the strongest one was for a SNP (rs6680701). This SNP is near a gene called BRINP2 (BMP/retinoic acid-inducible neural specific 2), and is located on Chromosome 1. This gene has not been studied very much and little is known about it.  However, it has been shown to be a developmentally regulated neural-specific gene, and its expression is primarily in the brain and the adrenal gland.  In 2017, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-02346-3">23andMe reported on a different SNP</a> (rs11582132) near BRINP2 that has a shared association between schizophrenia and openness  — a personality trait where one enjoys trying new things. While offering some intriguing findings, the genetic effects we identified here are mild. Non-genetic factors, like picking reasonable goals and having a supportive environment, also affect how well you stick to your resolution. So don’t rush to blame your genes when you decide to skip that next gym visit or two.
<div id="attachment_26758" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26758" class="wp-image-26758 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Resolver-Manhattan-Plot-300x150.png" alt="" width="300" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Resolver-Manhattan-Plot-300x150.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Resolver-Manhattan-Plot.png 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Figure 3. Genome-wide association study Manhattan plot for “Did you make a New Year’s resolution this year?” Possible responses were “yes” (n= 81,669) or “no” (n=293,660). This model treated the responses as a binary variable and adjusted for age, sex, genotyping platform, and the top-5 principal components of genetic ancestry.</div>
*Robert Gentleman, Ph.D., is 23andMe&#8217;s vice president of computational biology. Yunru Huang is a scientist in Biostatistics at 23andMe.

Robert Gentleman

23andMe Looks at New Year’s Resolutions

In the largest genetic study to date on <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/what-is-pcos">Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)</a>, a leading cause of female infertility, an international team of scientists found new genetic associations for the condition and further evidence of its associations with metabolic disorders, menopause and depression.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-26788 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PCOS-Image-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PCOS-Image-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PCOS-Image-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PCOS-Image-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PCOS-Image-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PCOS-Image-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PCOS-Image.jpg 1253w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1007813">PLOS Genetic</a>, the study found 14 genetic variants associated with the condition, three of which were identified for the first time. 
<h6>The Genetics of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome</h6>
The study also found correlations between PCOS and obesity, insulin response and coronary artery disease. The researchers also confirmed a causal link with depression, which had only before been hypothesized.
“The links between PCOS and mental health suggest the importance of a holistic approach where the social and psychosocial dimensions of the disease are considered,” said Felix Day, Ph.D., senior research associate in Growth and Development at the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, England and contributing author on the study. “The next steps are to further characterize the causes of this understudied disease that affects many women worldwide.”
The genetic underpinnings of the condition implicate neuroendocrine, metabolic and reproductive pathways, and a follow-up analysis found that the genetic pathways identified in this study also appear to be linked to other conditions including metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, and menopause.
PCOS affects nearly one in ten women of reproductive age. While the condition has been known by the medical community since the 1930s, treatments remain limited. Patients are often misdiagnosed. In fact, less than 50 percent of patients are diagnosed correctly. Many women spend years searching for a definitive answer on what’s causing their symptoms, which can vary widely from patient to patient.
<h6>
Under Diagnosed</h6>
The researchers working on this study, the International PCOS Consortium, explored the genetic basis of for the condition by conducting a whole genome association study. The researchers looked at genetic data from more than 10,000 women with PCOS and other 100,000 women without the condition who were used as controls.
The data came from seven different studies of women in Europe and North American, all with European ancestry who also were clinically verified to have PCOs. The data also included information from 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research. 23andMe previously contributed to a <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/new-findings-on-female-infertility/">study</a> on PCOS in 2015, and this new research builds on those findings.
“Patients often go from doctor to doctor before they get a diagnosis,&#8221;said Corrine K. Welt, a co-author of the paper who works at the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. &#8220;(This is) because medical professionals may not be familiar with PCOS and providers from dermatology to obstetrics and gynecology to endocrinology may diagnose PCOS differently. As a community, we turned to genetics to understand the initiating cause of this disorder.”

Study Points to New Genetic Underpinnings for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

This week 23andMe added a new Carrier Status report on familial Mediterranean fever, a genetic disorder that can include periodic fevers and inflammation in the abdomen, chest or joints.
The Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) Carrier Status* report provides information on whether a customer has at least one of seven variants in the MEFV gene. These are not the only variants associated with the condition. However, these are common variants associated with this disorder in people of Arab, Armenian, Sephardic Jewish, and Turkish descent.
<h6>More on Familial Mediterranean Fever</h6>
People with familial Mediterranean fever often have two variants in the MEFV gene, and the disorder often shows up in childhood. Beyond periodic fevers and inflammation, typical symptoms may also include skin rashes. In some cases, FMF can lead to an abnormal buildup of protein in the kidneys.
Among the treatments for FMF are anti-inflammatory drugs that can be used to manage episodes of fever. On some occasions, doctors prescribe drugs to prevent fever attacks and kidney damage, especially for people with the M694V variant. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-26776" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Scientific-Detail-FMF-1024x870.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="870" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Scientific-Detail-FMF-1024x870.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Scientific-Detail-FMF-300x255.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Scientific-Detail-FMF-768x653.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Scientific-Detail-FMF-880x748.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Scientific-Detail-FMF.jpg 1172w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />This new Carrier Status report doesn’t diagnose familial Mediterranean fever. Instead, it reports on whether a customer is a carrier for at least one of seven variants in the MEFV gene associated with a risk for FMF.
<h6>Carrier Detection Rate</h6>
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
<h6>What’s a Carrier Status* Report?</h6>
Carrier status tests are a type of genetic test used to find out if you carry a genetic change – or variant. For the types of conditions included in a carrier status test, having one genetic change – being a carrier – typically means you do not have that condition, but you could pass the variant on to your each of your children.Carrier status tests are typically offered for autosomal recessive conditions [or disorders]. For these conditions, a child needs to inherit a variant from both parents in order to have the condition. If both parents are carriers, each child has a one in four, or 25 percent, chance of being affected with the condition. 
(It’s important to note that this also means that each child has a 75 percent chance of not being affected.)Autosomal recessive conditions for which carrier testing is commonly offered by healthcare providers include cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, and <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/carrier/sickle-cell-anemia">sickle cell anemia</a>, among many others.
</div>
The &#8220;carrier detection rate&#8221; for this report — which is the percentage of carriers of FMF who are expected to be identified by this test — is from 70 percent to more than 90 percent for people of Arab, Armenian, Sephardic Jewish, and Turkish descent.
The FMF report is the latest in a regular cadence of new health-related reports 23andMe offers <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/">Health+Ancestry</a> Service customers, all of which meet FDA requirements. This brings the total number of <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/#toc-carrierstatus">Carrier Status</a>* reports to 44.
23andMe also offers nine <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/#toc-ghr">Genetic Health Risk</a>* reports, eight Wellness reports on such things as Genetic Weight and Sleep Movement, and more than two dozen different trait reports.
As with other health-related reports, 23andMe has a tutorial that customers can go through before viewing their Familial Mediterranean Fever Carrier Status report. In addition to the tutorial, the report itself offers details on the condition, the specific variants tested for and the scientific information supporting the report. There are also links to information about genetic counseling and support group resources.
<h6>Note </h6>
*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 and reporting carrier status. 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. Our carrier status reports can be used to determine carrier status, but cannot determine if you have two copies of any genetic variant. These carrier reports are not intended to tell you anything about your risk for developing a disease in the future, the health of your fetus, or your newborn child&#8217;s risk of developing a particular disease later in life. For certain conditions, we provide a single report that includes information on both carrier status and genetic health risk. The Familial Mediterranean Fever Carrier Status Report is indicated for the detection of seven (7) variants in the MEFV gene and is most relevant for people of Arab, Armenian, Sephardic, Jewish, and Turkish descent. For important information and limitations regarding other genetic health risk reports and carrier status reports, visit <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/">https://www.23andme.com/test-info/</a>.

23andMe’s Report on Familial Mediterranean Fever

By Yunru Huang, Stella Aslibekyan, Robert Gentleman*
Americans love ice cream, but some flavors more than others, and it turns out our genetics can help explain why. At an annual average of <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/heres-the-scoop--americans-really-love-ice-cream-300481398.html">48 pints per person</a>, Americans consume more ice cream than any other country in the world. Approximately <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/how-much-does-america-love-ice-cream-yahoo-food-126114505346.html">86 percent</a> of Americans eat ice cream at least once a week. Not surprisingly, the ice cream market continues growing and is anticipated to reach<a href="https://www.statista.com/outlook/40100400/109/ice-cream/united-states#market-revenue"> $10.5 billion by 2021</a>.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-26782 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ice-cream-image-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ice-cream-image-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ice-cream-image-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ice-cream-image-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ice-cream-image-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ice-cream-image-1180x787.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Nearly 70 percent of ice cream retail purchase is driven by the flavor. While Americans are united in loving ice cream, they are strongly divided over specific flavor preferences. Most Americans prefer vanilla, followed by chocolate, with strawberry at the distant eighth place, according to a survey conducted by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA). How do people come by their favorite ice cream flavor? Since<a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.nutr.17.1.237?rfr_dat=cr_pub%3Dpubmed&amp;url_ver=Z39.88-2003&amp;rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&amp;journalCode=nutr"> taste preferences are in part explained by genetics</a>, we set out to find specific DNA sequence variants that associate with ice cream flavor preference.
To learn more about the genetics of ice cream consumption and taste preference, 23andMe researchers  asked customers who consented to participate in research in June of 2018 the following questions:
<ul>
<li>“Which of the following ice cream flavors do you like best?”</li>
</ul>
Possible answers were “vanilla”, “chocolate”, “strawberry” or “other flavors or no ice cream”.
In contrast to the IDFA survey, the majority (43.2 percent) of our research participants chose chocolate, followed closely by vanilla (37.8 percent). Only 13.2 percent of participants chose strawberry. However, this difference might be because our sample is not a random <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demography_of_the_United_States">sample of the U.S.</a> [Figure 1]. We found that women were much more likely to prefer chocolate flavor, while men favored vanilla or strawberry [Figure 2]. Older people were less likely to enjoy strawberry (P-value: 2.6*e-81). For example, people who were 68 years old were 38.5 times less likely to prefer strawberry ice cream compared to those who were 18,  but the popularity of vanilla and chocolate remained steady across age groups.
<div id="attachment_26781" style="width: 522px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26781" class="wp-image-26781 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-1.jpg" alt="" width="512" height="154" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-1.jpg 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-1-300x90.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" />Figure 1: Distribution plot of our population</div>
We then carried out two genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of ice cream flavor preferences in our research participants of European ancestry. Because vanilla is a much more mild flavor than chocolate or strawberry, we considered it our “case.” Our first comparison was between vanilla and chocolate flavors, controlling for age, sex, ancestry, and technical artifacts. We found 45 genome-wide significant hits [Figure 3]. Many of these hits are near genes for which the biological function is not well studied. But five hits are near the gene family of olfactory receptors, which are important for smell and taste
<div id="attachment_26783" style="width: 522px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26783" class="wp-image-26783 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-2.jpg" alt="" width="512" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-2.jpg 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-2-300x176.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" />Figure 2: Odds ratio plot illustrating flavor preference. Odds ratios greater than 1 (to the right of the dotted line) indicate a preference by women. In this case, women were much more likely to prefer chocolate flavor and men favored vanilla or strawberry.</div>
perception, including OR6B2, OR5P3, OR10A6, OR5M3, OR5M8, OR4C13, and OR2AG2. The second GWAS compared vanilla and strawberry flavor preference, and indicated eight genome-wide significant hits, distinct from our findings of vanilla vs. chocolate flavors. However, similar to our first GWAS,  the three strongest hits were also near the olfactory receptor gene family; OR5M8, OR5M11, OR6B1, OR2A5, and OR4A47 [Figure 4].
Discoveries of olfactory receptors won the <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2004/7438-the-nobel-prize-in-physiology-or-medicine-2004-2004-5/">Nobel Prize </a>in Physiology or Medicine in 2004 for Richard Axel and Linda Buck. The human olfactory receptor gene family consists of approximately 800 genes, which encode almost 350 functional receptor subtypes in the nose. These receptors detect various odorants by sending signals to the olfactory bulb of the brain. The sense of taste and smell are highly associated. For example, a person can distinguish sweet and bitter flavor just via their smell, an ability that would be decreased in someone with a cold or other forms of nasal obstruction. It might be because that taste and smell both use the same type of receptors. Olfactory receptors could help activate taste receptors and then create the perception of flavor. Moreover, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC356993/">variation in the combinatorial olfactory receptor genes or receptors</a> underlies sensitivities to different classes of odors, which in turn contribute to the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982213008543?via%3Dihub#app2">flavor experience of foods that are processed by the corresponding taste receptors.</a>
<div id="attachment_26780" style="width: 522px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26780" class="wp-image-26780 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-3-e1677093087888.jpg" alt="" width="512" height="256" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-3-e1677093087888.jpg 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-3-e1677093087888-300x150.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" />Figure 3. Genome-wide association study Manhattan plot for ice cream flavor preferences. Possible responses were “vanilla” (n= 86,676) or “chocolate” (n=101,833). This model treated the responses as binary variables, and adjusted for age, sex, genotyping platform, and the top 5 principal components of genetic ancestry. </div>
<div id="attachment_26779" style="width: 522px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26779" class="wp-image-26779 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-4.jpg" alt="" width="512" height="256" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-4.jpg 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-4-300x150.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" />Figure 4. Genome-wide association study Manhattan plot for ice cream flavor preferences. Possible responses were “vanilla” (n= 123,599) or “strawberry” (n=45,423). This model treated the responses as binary variables, and adjusted for age, sex, genotyping platform, and the top-5 principal components of genetic ancestry. </div>
While we were not surprised to find genetic associations with taste preferences and that some were in or near genes in the olfactory receptor family, we were surprised to find that there were seven overlapping SNPs between our findings and a previous 23andMe analysis of milk vs. dark chocolate preferences [Figure 5]. For example, genetic variants associated with having a penchant for dark chocolate were also associated with liking chocolate-flavored ice cream. Meanwhile, people with genetic variants associated with preferring milk chocolate were more likely to prefer vanilla ice cream, perhaps suggesting that these variants are associated with preferring less-strong flavors.
So the next time your stomach screams for ice cream, don’t be overwhelmed by all of the choices in the dessert aisle &#8211; just let your genes lead the way.
<div id="attachment_26784" style="width: 390px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26784" class="wp-image-26784 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-5..jpg" alt="" width="380" height="226" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-5..jpg 380w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Figure-5.-300x178.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px" />Figure 5. Overlapping and unique GWAS results between “Milk chocolate vs. Dark chocolate” and “Vanilla vs. Chocolate”</div>
**Robert Gentleman, Ph.D., is 23andMe&#8217;s vice president of computational biology. Yunru Huang is a scientist in Biostatistics at 23andMe, and Stella Aslibekyan is a Genetic Epidemiologist on our research team.

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