How far back can you trace your maternal line? To your mother? Your grandmother? How about your maternal great-great-great-grandmother? Whether you know your maternal-line genealogy back ten generations or none at all, you can discover the history of your ancestors going back tens of thousands of years. Their story is in your DNA — your mitochondrial DNA, to be precise. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/maternal_pedigree-300x167.png" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25378" width="300" height="167" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/maternal_pedigree-300x167.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/maternal_pedigree-768x427.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/maternal_pedigree-1024x569.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/maternal_pedigree-880x489.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/maternal_pedigree-1180x656.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/maternal_pedigree.png 1189w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Each generation, mothers pass down their mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to their children. Both their daughters and their sons inherit mtDNA, but only women pass it on. As a result, you inherited your mtDNA from the long, unbroken line of women who make up your maternal line. 
Researchers study the genetic markers in mtDNA to trace the histories of our maternal lines. Using these markers, they can identify maternal haplogroups, families of maternal lineages that descend from the same woman.   
In fact, they&#8217;ve discovered that we are all direct maternal-line descendants of a single woman who lived in eastern Africa between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago! As her daughters and their daughters migrated out of the cradle of modern humans, they branched out into different groups that crossed Africa and the globe. Many of these migrations can be traced using haplogroups. 
At 23andMe, we&#8217;ve just released a redesigned version of our Maternal Haplogroup report, placing customers’ own ancestral stories within the context of the broader human story. We determine each customer&#8217;s maternal haplogroup by looking at the genetic markers in their mtDNA. Then, we walk each customer step by step through the points at which their maternal line branched off from others over thousands of years. Furthermore, the report lets you know if you share a maternal haplogroup with a notable individual or groups of individuals in history.
Customers wanting to explore this redesigned report can go<a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/maternal_haplogroup/"> here</a>.  Not yet a customer? Visit our<a href="https://store.23andme.com/en-us/cart/"> store</a>.
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23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

23andMe’s Updated Maternal Haplogroup Report

In the largest genetic study of psoriasis to date, researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor have identified new variants associated with the chronic skin disease, bringing<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/psoriasis-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25369" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/psoriasis-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/psoriasis.jpg 724w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> the total number of variants associated with psoriasis to over 60. 
The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15382">findings</a> reveal more about the genetic architecture of the disease, pointing to the process within the body’s immune response involved in the development of the disease.

&#8220;We know there are a lot of genes, each with a relatively small effect, in play,&#8221; Dr. James T. Elder, professor of dermatology at U-M Medical School, said in a press release. &#8220;Those genes combined with the environment lead people to develop psoriasis. This study identified 16 more genetic markers, bringing the total to 63 loci linked to psoriasis.&#8221;


<h5>Impact of Psoriasis</h5>
Psoriasis, which is estimated to affect about 3 percent of the population, is complex, unpredictable and hard to treat. Symptoms include red itchy and scaly patches of skin often seen on the knees, elbows and scalp. But flare-ups can also impact the torso, palms and soles of the feet. In its mildest form, psoriasis can be a nuisance, but in severe cases the disease can be painful and disfiguring.
&nbsp;
For this study, scientists used data from eight different groups, including 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research. In all, the meta-analysis included data from more than 39,000 people, all of European ancestry. The researchers found 63 genetic variants associated with the condition, including 16 that were identified for the first time.
<h5>Biological Pathways</h5>
After identifying the variants associated with the condition, the researchers applied a recently developed algorithm known as<a href="https://academic.oup.com/bioinformatics/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/bioinformatics/btu799"> MEAGA</a> used to help identify biological functions and pathways, as well as protein-to-protein interactions. This gives researchers an important added layer of information for the genetic associations that were found by suggesting how they may act in the body to influence the development of the disease. In this case, the researchers matched the variants to dozens of pathways and functions. Many of these pathways are involved in the immune response, and have important functions including regulation of certain immune cells and inflammatory signals.

The researchers also screened drug databases for existing drugs that target specific genes in which novel variants were discovered. They found 18 different drugs that regulate seven genes containing novel variants. Some of those drugs — aminosalicylic acid, mesalazine and sulfasalazine — have been used to treat psoriasis, the researchers said.

The findings from the paper “will serve as an important framework guiding future research into the pathogenesis and treatment of psoriasis,” according to the study.
You can find the study at <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15382#s1">Nature Communications.</a>

New genetic variants found to influence psoriasis risk

With breathtaking speed, 23andMe and Celmatix have finished recruiting and enrolling participants in a groundbreaking study on fertility. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/istock_000004280142xsmall.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-4040" width="1" height="1" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/istock_000004280142xsmall.jpg 425w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/istock_000004280142xsmall-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/istock_000004280142xsmall-300x199.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/istock_000004280142xsmall-271x149.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/istock_000004280142xsmall-372x204.jpg 372w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1px) 100vw, 1px" /><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Pregnancy-Belly-300x207-300x207.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25371" width="300" height="207" />
Launched in February, the study aimed to enroll 4,500 women. It can typically take years to recruit thousands of individuals for a genetic study. However, the team recruited more than 5,000 women in just nine days — an unprecedented rate of enrollment Now, all of the 4,500 women eligible to participate have been successfully genotyped and each have completed the initial background survey. That means this first phase of the study is complete in record time.
“This is a testament to just how important this issue is for women,” said Emily Drabant Conley, PhD, Vice President of Business Development from 23andMe. “Now the hard work begins.”
<h5>Study Goals</h5>
The research will be the first to study how lifestyle, diet, age, and genetics together impact fertility. It focuses on women aged 18 to 45, who are actively trying to conceive or who have recently conceived a child. Over the next 18 months, researchers will collect data from participants using periodic surveys to document clinical information, environmental data, and details about diet and lifestyle.
At the end of this process, that information will be combined with genetic data and the outcome of the women’s efforts to conceive. The hope is that the research will uncover new insights into what impacts a woman’s ability to get pregnant and deliver a healthy baby.
“Insights from this landmark study hold the potential to help any woman, who may want to have a child one day, better understand how her genetics, together with decisions around lifestyle, diet, and reproductive timeline may impact her ability to have a baby,” said Piraye Yurttas Beim, PhD, Founder and CEO of Celmatix, a next-generation women’s health company.
<h5>Collaborative Science</h5>
The collaboration leverages the strengths of both companies —<a href="https://celmatix.com/"> Celmatix</a>, for its use of data and genomic insights to help women make proactive decisions about their fertility; and 23andMe, for the kind of big-data genetic research that enlists and engages people to participate in important scientific discoveries.
Fertility is an important area of science that impacts many people’s lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in eight women trying to conceive in the United States will have trouble getting pregnant, and currently, doctors have limited tools to help. The aim of this study is to change this by uncovering findings that can help both women trying to conceive and their doctors.
Following a formal announcement of enrollment opening on February 22nd, 2017, 23andMe emailed its database of consented research participants on February 25th, 2017. The email received a much higher open rate than most customer emails, and by March 2nd the enrollment goal had been reached.
Just as importantly, roughly 95 percent of the women enrolled have already completed the first online survey.

Speedy Recruitment for Fertility Study

A study, led by researchers in Australia, found new genetic associations for endometriosis, a painful disorder that affects one in ten women, leaving many infertile.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/iStock-499856046-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25364" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/iStock-499856046-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/iStock-499856046-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/iStock-499856046-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/iStock-499856046-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/iStock-499856046-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/iStock-499856046.jpg 1254w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Published this week in the journal Nature Communications, the study identified  19 genetic variants associated with endometriosis, and many of those variants are also associated with other serious health conditions such as ovarian cancer, cardiovascular disease and <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/fh/">high cholesterol</a>.
The findings may help researchers identifying some of the underlying causes for endometriosis, which remain unknown, according to the two lead researchers <a href="http://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/3210">Professor Grant Montgomery</a>, and <a href="http://staff.qut.edu.au/staff/nyholt/">Associate Professor Dale Nyholt</a> of the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. 
&#8220;Although genes are not the only deciding factor for whether or not a woman will develop endometriosis, it&#8217;s important to identify genes increasing a woman&#8217;s risk so we can understand the facdtors causing the disease,&#8221; said Professor Montgomery.
Both genetics and environmental factors play a role in the disease, which is characterized by uterine tissue, called endometrium, developing outside of the uterus, often in the stomach, ovaries, fallopian tubes and ligaments around the reproductive organs. On top of sometimes excruciating pain, this can result in scarring and in infertility in up to half the women who have the condition.
For many women even getting a diagnosis of endometriosis can be a long and grueling process. A <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)31344-2/fulltext">recent survey</a> of women with the condition published in the journal Lancet found that their top priority is finding a better way to diagnose the condition. Also on the list were better treatments for managing the symptoms of the disease.
Researchers have long known that multiple genetic factors were involved, and this study helps provide new insight on the molecular basis for the condition. Whereas previous studies identified only eight genetic associations with endometriosis, researchers in this study were able to increase the power of their study by combining data in a “meta-analysis” from several different study cohorts to discover these 19 new variants.
In all, data from more than 200,000 women was used in the study, with about 40,000 of that being 23andMe customers who consented to research. The study also included data from 10 other international genome wide association studies and work from researchers at the Harvard Medical School, Biobank Japan, the Oxford Endometriosis study in the United Kingdom, data from the Queensland Institute of Medicinal Research in Brisbane Australia and data from the DNA testing company deCODE Genetics in Iceland.By increasing the size of the study, the researchers were able to tease out associations that couldn’t be seen before. 
They were also able to garner more insight into the molecular mechanisms involved by looking at the functions and pathways of the genes and gene regions in which the variants are found. In this case the study found several variants in genes involved in sex hormone metabolism, specifically the genes GREB1, FN1, KDR, CCDC170, ESR1, SYNE1, and FSHB.
You can find the study at <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15539">Nature Communications.</a>

New genetic variants found to influence endometriosis risk

It was a simple Mother’s Day gift, but it took 47 years to deliver it. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Star-Advertiser-e1495228883750-227x300.png" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25337" width="227" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Star-Advertiser-e1495228883750-227x300.png 227w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Star-Advertiser-e1495228883750.png 346w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 227px) 100vw, 227px" />
Last week, on the island of Kauai, Tod Walker, a musician and father of two, got to hug his mom, Marguerita “Landis Gravenor, for the first time.
“I can’t stop hugging her and holding her hand,” Tod told a writer with the <a href="http://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/05/14/hawaii-news/lee-cataluna/son-reunited-with-mom-in-time-for-mothers-day/">Honolulu Star Advertiser</a>.
An adoptee, who found his birth mother with the help of 23andMe, Tod’s story was featured in the Mother’s Day edition of the paper.
Seeing him after giving him up as a baby was something his mom had been waiting for all these years.
“When I hugged him at the airport, it was just tears of joy,” said Marguerita, who was an unwed teenager when she had Tod. “It wasn’t heavy, like sadness or guilt. It was just joy. I was holding my son.”
Read the story <a href="http://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/05/14/hawaii-news/lee-cataluna/son-reunited-with-mom-in-time-for-mothers-day/">here</a>.

A Mother and Son Reunion

23andMe recently started offering customers new Genetic Health Risk reports that have received<a href="https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm551185.htm"> FDA authorization</a>. Below we’ve highlighted some important features in these reports to help you get <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-25282" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1CEfC9m9AbODwKq19WcXmxVggXmrpuOA-1.png" alt="" width="355" height="600" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1CEfC9m9AbODwKq19WcXmxVggXmrpuOA-1.png 355w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1CEfC9m9AbODwKq19WcXmxVggXmrpuOA-1-178x300.png 178w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 355px) 100vw, 355px" />more out of them.


While the reports may have important information about your health, they also could raise issues you hadn’t considered. All customers are provided details on the type of information conveyed in the new reports before they decide whether to opt into seeing them or not.


For some serious conditions that do not currently have effective treatments or cures — namely <a href="http://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/late-onset-alzheimers/">late-onset Alzheimer’s disease</a> and Parkinson’s disease — 23andMe customers must take an additional step to opt-in to viewing these two reports. Customers can choose not to view them but still see all other health reports if they wish.
The extra step to opt-in to the reports on late-onset Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease is meant to ensure that customers consider carefully whether or not they want to know about their genetic risk for these serious conditions.
If a customer moves forward with accessing their health information, it&#8217;s important to know that these reports are not intended to diagnose a disease or condition. Having a variant associated with an increased risk for a condition doesn’t mean you’ll get that condition.
Conversely, if you don’t have the variant it doesn’t mean you are free of risk. Your genetic risk for these conditions is but one of many factors, such as lifestyle, environment and family history, that play a role. (As with any test, it is also possible to receive a “Not Determined” result. This is rare, and can be caused by random test error or other factors that interfere with the test.)
Another important aspect of these reports is that 23andMe doesn’t test for all the possible genetic variants that could influence risk for these conditions. Even if a person&#8217;s report says that no variants were detected, that person could still have a variant not covered by the test that may affect risk for the condition. 23andMe&#8217;s reports include only variants that can be detected and validated on our genotyping chip, and the reports do not include many rare variants not available on our chip or variants that have not yet been discovered.

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<h5>
About the Reports</h5>

Each report is broken into a similar structure that includes your results, an explanation of what they mean, an overview of the condition, other factors that may influence risk, suggested next steps, and additional resources. This is all done in clear and easy to understand language, and the reports are structured in a way that allows you to go deeper into different sections to learn more if you wish.


The Overview page summarizes a person&#8217;s result, such as the number of variants detected and whether this is associated with increased risk, and provides brief but important points for understanding what the result means. This page also includes important information about what the test does and doesn&#8217;t do, and how a person&#8217;s ethnicity may matter. More information about the condition, including how common it is, typical signs and symptoms, and other risk factors are also highlighted. Many of these sections provide links to the Scientific Details page where customers can find more information and supporting references. The Overview page also provides quick links to genetic counseling, frequently asked questions, and printing to share with a healthcare professional.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25286" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1678_YQyfY6wqQPHf-RpZudNM6mTBLzQ.png" alt="" width="600" height="325" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1678_YQyfY6wqQPHf-RpZudNM6mTBLzQ.png 600w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1678_YQyfY6wqQPHf-RpZudNM6mTBLzQ-300x163.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
In the Scientific Details page you’ll find more information about the genes and variants tested, health risk estimates associated with those variants in different populations, and clinical and analytical performance of the test. There will also be detailed information about other factors that influence whether a person develops the condition. All scientific references supporting the information in the report are provided at the bottom of this page.

<h5>
Understanding Risk Estimates</h5>

Our Genetic Health Risk reports focus on the general level of risk associated with a person&#8217;s genetic result. So for example, the report might state that you are &#8220;not likely at risk,&#8221; or that you are at &#8220;increased risk&#8221; based on the variants tested. But in some cases the report may also provide specific numerical estimates of the risk. These estimates may also be described in more detail in the &#8220;Test Interpretation&#8221; section of the Scientific Details page, and depend on available scientific studies. For this reason, the exact types of risk estimates, and the populations or ethnicities that they apply to, differ from report to report.

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The types of risk estimates found in our reports may include lifetime risks, odds ratios, and likelihood ratios. Lifetime risk estimates are the most straightforward to understand — they simply represent the chances of developing the condition by a certain age. Similarly, incidence represents the number of people diagnosed with a condition in a given time period. Odds ratios and likelihood ratios are a bit different in that they reflect the difference in risk between one scenario and another scenario. Odds ratios usually compare the odds of a disease or condition in one group (such as people with a risk variant) to the odds in a reference group (such as people without the risk variant). Likelihood ratios compare the probability of a disease or condition given a test result to the probability prior to knowing the test result.
All types of risk estimates are applicable only to the populations or ethnicities specified in each report, though people of other ethnicities can view the information for educational purposes.
An important aspect to understand about risk estimates is that, being estimates, they have some amount of uncertainty. This is often conveyed using a &#8220;confidence interval,&#8221; which shows the range of possible likely values for that risk estimate. The wider that range, the less certain the specific risk estimate is.  The confidence intervals for risk estimates based on published studies can be found in the references for those studies. The confidence intervals for risk estimates calculated by 23andMe can be found by clicking the button &#8220;See 95 percent confidence intervals&#8221; underneath those risk tables.

<h5>
A Final Note</h5>

We strive to help our customers get the most out of their experience, and so each Genetic Health Risk report includes Frequently Asked Questions tailored to each customer&#8217;s results, in addition to our Customer Care center which is always available.
While 23andMe Genetic Health Risk reports do not diagnose diseases or conditions, they do include potentially important information that you could use to help be more proactive about your health and engage in your own wellness. That may also include talking to your doctor, a genetic counselor or other health professional. <a href="http://aboutgeneticcounselors.com">Genetic counselors</a> in particular are well-suited to help people who have questions about genetic risks and genetic testing. If you have specific questions or concerns about your health, we encourage you to contact a healthcare professional.

Learn More About 23andMe’s New Genetic Health Risk Reports

Sarah Biggers hadn’t been looking for a mother. She already had one.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Sarah-Biggers-and-her-birth-mom-Wendy-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25276" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Sarah-Biggers-and-her-birth-mom-Wendy-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Sarah-Biggers-and-her-birth-mom-Wendy-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Sarah-Biggers-and-her-birth-mom-Wendy-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Sarah-Biggers-and-her-birth-mom-Wendy-880x660.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Sarah-Biggers-and-her-birth-mom-Wendy-1180x885.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
“I didn’t have a need to find my birth family,” she said.
But when she became pregnant, the fact that she didn’t really know anything about her biological family weighed more heavily on her. For years, whenever she had a doctor’s visit, or a physical, she couldn’t offer any information about her own family medical history. That part of the forms was also a blank, so with a baby on the way she wondered what she would be passing on to her child.
“I had that moment where I was like ‘I have no idea what to expect,’” she said.
Then for Mother’s Day, her husband got her 23andMe as a gift.
“Who would have thought that sending off a little spit would one day connect you with someone so deeply,” Sarah said.
<h4>A Connection</h4>
Sarah’s results connected her with a second cousin, and together they quickly deduced that her cousin’s mother and Sarah’s grandmother were sisters. From there, they figured out who Sarah’s mother was. It took Sarah a few months to compose a letter.
“I thought if this was the only thing that I get to say to this woman, I need to do it right,” she said. “I wanted to tell her everything was not just OK, but better than OK.”
Sarah didn’t want to disrupt this woman’s life. Sarah just wanted to make sure she knew she was happy, married and the mother of a beautiful young girl.  She sent off the letter and waited, for weeks and weeks.
“I literally was checking every day,” Sarah said.
And then in November, more than a month later, Sarah heard back.
“It was the most beautiful message and so sweet and everything an adoptee would want and need to hear,” Sarah said. “I can’t describe that feeling.”
Her biological mother, Wendy, received the letter, but it took her a long time to respond. When she did, Wendy apologized for the delay. Even though she thought of her daughter every day, she explained, she hadn’t spoken about her to anyone else in all that time.
“The note you sent me was an answer to every single prayer that I ever prayed for you,” Wendy wrote. “That you were loved, healthy, successful and happy.”
These letters started a flurry of more messages back and forth and then a few marathon-long phone calls, as Sarah shared with Wendy her story and Wendy told Sarah of her birth.
<iframe loading="lazy" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RD0OnLsgfFs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
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<h4>Capturing Time </h4>
Wendy had been in high school when she got pregnant. She went away to a group home for unwed mothers where she had to finish school while she waited to deliver her baby. At the group home she stayed with other girls from different walks of life, all in the same predicament. When the baby came, Wendy was alone in the hospital. She begged to be allowed to have more time with her baby, and was permitted to stay an extra day. Wendy was 19 years old and for more than three decades she never talked about what happened to anyone, that was until she met Sarah.
Even though she never talked about her baby, Wendy said she never stopped thinking about the girl she’d given birth to on a night in August 1984. She kept her baby close to her two days, rocking and singing her to sleep with the words to the 70s pop song,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1YxczPEPrs"> “Time in a Bottle.&#8221;</a>
And then Wendy gave her up. Sending her off with an outfit and blanket she’d crocheted herself, and a letter that told her daughter’s new parents that she never would come to disrupt their lives, or come searching for “Lauren Elizabeth,” the name she’d given Sarah. But if her daughter ever came in search of her, “I’ll never turn her away.”
Then she was gone. Over the years, all Wendy had left was a memory and a snapshot of her infant daughter taken secretly with a Kodak camera. She kept the photo in her nightstand, saying a prayer for daughter every night, and every August on her infant’s birthday she’d have a cupcake. At Christmas, she’d send a gift to another child in her baby’s honor.
Wendy eventually married and, at 32, had another daughter, Hannah. She always thought the daughter she gave up would one day find her — Wendy even set aside fine china for a gift for her wedding. And then did Sarah find her.
The two met in person on the coast of North Carolina earlier this year. Sarah got to meet her grandmother, and her half sister, Hannah, who has also tested with 23andMe. Sarah and her sister share about 26.6 percent of their DNA, relatively high for half sisters. They, in turn, have also met Sarah’s husband and daughter. 
“I just can’t say enough how amazing this is for people and how life changing,” Sarah said. “It’s just so awesome, that you can spit in a tube and in the end it would complete your life.”

Sarah’s 23andMe Mother’s Day Story

Inside each of us is a beautiful, rich genetic story. Some of which is told through the people with whom we are related.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25268" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/You-Related-1-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/You-Related-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/You-Related-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/You-Related-1-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/You-Related-1-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/You-Related-1.jpg 414w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> 
23andMe’s new Ancestry Report has reimagined how you see these relatives — both close and distant — not just matching you with people with whom you share pieces of DNA, but putting those matches into context that tells you something about yourself.
Our new Ancestry Report introduces you to the 23andMe customers who make up Your DNA Family in a whole new way.
<h6>Your DNA Relatives, Let&#8217;s Do the Numbers</h6>
So how many relatives are we talking about, here? As you trace your family tree back in time, you can see that you have more ancestors with each generation. Look back 150 to 200 years, for instance, and you likely have 64 fourth-great grandparents. That many people have a lot of descendants. In fact, using a simple model where each family has only two to three children, we estimate that the average person has 4,700 fifth cousins out there!
You can find a number of these cousins when you use 23andMe’s DNA Relatives tool. Most 23andMe customers find hundreds, or even thousands of DNA Relatives who have also chosen 23andMe to explore their genetic heritage. That’s a lot of people — and a lot of stories — to sort through!
Your DNA Family helps you get started with a high-level overview of your 23andMe DNA Relatives grouped by their prediction relationship to you. These groups include close relationships (up to second cousins), third to fourth cousins, and distant cousins (5th cousins or more distant).
The significance of these distant cousins isn’t so much about the number of matches you have, but what these matches can tell you about your family history. You may see this in how your DNA relatives share surnames, or ancestry or hometowns. This information could help inform some of what you may already know about your ancestors and where they came from. Or you may learn something new.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25234" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/relative_buckets_wide-1.png" alt="" width="979" height="523" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/relative_buckets_wide-1.png 979w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/relative_buckets_wide-1-300x160.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/relative_buckets_wide-1-768x410.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/relative_buckets_wide-1-880x470.png 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 979px) 100vw, 979px" />See Your DNA Relatives Around the World
Seeing your relatives in a new way offers you insight about your ancestry you might not otherwise have. The Your DNA Family report features map to show you the <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25222" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/us_map_with_toggles-300x221.png" alt="" width="300" height="221" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/us_map_with_toggles-300x221.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/us_map_with_toggles-768x566.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/us_map_with_toggles-1024x755.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/us_map_with_toggles-880x649.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/us_map_with_toggles-1180x870.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/us_map_with_toggles.png 1652w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />distribution of your DNA Relatives across the United States and around the world.
The pattern of how those matches plot on that map may reflect both decades-old migration  or more recent patterns. But they tell you a story that could include a family lodged in one region generation after generation, or ancestors who immigrated across continents or oceans seeking new opportunities.
<h6>Ancestry Composition Patterns</h6>
Human history is the story of migration, and clues to that story is also found in your DNA.
While your history is tied to the history of each of your cousins through at least one common ancestor, it is also tied to specific regions in the world.
23andMe’s Ancestry Composition can show you the mix of ancestry you have, but we’ve also added in features that help you compare that mix with your DNA Relatives.
This helps you explore the commonalities and differences in your ancestry. You can see this in a summary of the Ancestry Compositions of your DNA Relatives. You’ll find out how many different populations are represented in the ancestry of your DNA Family as well as how many of your relatives have ancestry from each of those populations.
<h6>Traits of Your DNA Relatives<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25265" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/traits_module-300x186.png" alt="" width="300" height="186" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/traits_module-300x186.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/traits_module-768x477.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/traits_module-880x546.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/traits_module.png 918w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></h6>
23andMe’s New Ancestry Report also looks at this pool of DNA Relatives and asks what beyond segments of DNA do you share.
By looking at shared traits, the new report offers you another way of looking your DNA Family.  For instance, maybe you have more DNA Relatives who can wiggle their ears, or a chorus of singers with perfect pitch. Perhaps your DNA Family has more than its fair share of vegetarians.
The New Ancestry Report looks at  a collection of common habits, tastes, characteristics and abilities — drawn from responses to  surveys 23andMe customers answer —  and then we tell you how your DNA Family stands out. We can do that by comparing the percentage of your DNA Relatives who report having each trait to the matching percentage of all 23andMe customers.
<h6>A Starting Point for Your DNA Relative Search</h6>
Want to dig further? Connect with relatives using the DNA Relatives tool. In the tool, you can find individual relatives and explore their profiles one at a time. Message your cousins to share information, and compare DNA segments with multiple matches to find clues to your shared family history.
To begin and end with words from our CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki:
“Every day I watch people connect with their DNA family, and see how the concept of family can evolve into something greater — and even more meaningful.” 
Find out how your DNA Family can help you discover your rich genetic story.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25231" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/AC_comparison_apr12th-e1492192125921.png" alt="" width="640" height="518" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/AC_comparison_apr12th-e1492192125921.png 640w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/AC_comparison_apr12th-e1492192125921-300x243.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" />

Meet Your DNA Family

Chronic Pain is complex and personal.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25253" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Pain-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Pain-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Pain.jpg 724w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />


You understand the level of your own pain, but it’s harder to understand it in others.
Compound fractures, burns, kidney stones, a stubbed toe or wrenched back — they all hurt. But they hurt differently for each of us, and we each respond differently to treatments meant to relieve the discomfort. Beyond that there is the complexity of chronic pain, a persistent menace experienced by an <a href="https://nccih.nih.gov/news/press/08112015">estimated 50 million people</a> in the United States alone, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Chronic pain is defined as pain that inexplicably persists far beyond what is expected.
To better understand the complexities of pain, chronic pain and the differences in how individuals experience pain and respond to treatments for it, researchers here at 23andMe in collaboration with scientists at the German-based pharmaceutical company Grünenthal are embarking on a new study. The research will look at pain, chronic pain, the treatments used to alleviate it and the role that genetics plays in it all.


“Results from this initiative may help advance the use of precision medicine in pain management, as scientists explore how genetics may underlie the differences and similarities among individuals, and how they experience pain,” said Emily Drabant Conley, Ph.D., 23andMe’s vice president of business development.

<h4>Inviting People to Participate in Research</h4>

The goal is to enroll 20,000 people to participate in what would be one of the largest studies of its kind. The research will combine genetic data with information on lifestyle as well as additional data from a pain tolerance test undergone by each participant. This commonly used “Cold Pressor Test” offers researchers a way to gauge pain thresholds and tolerance for individuals. The test has participants immerse their hand into icy water for up to three minutes. This allows researchers to more accurately compare pain tolerance between individuals participating in the study.


Participants in this study will also have to answer survey questions about their pain sensitivity. In addition they will be asked about drug tolerance, and other questions to assess the pain associated with past experiences and imagined scenarios.
In recent years there has been intriguing research that has found associations between a person’s tolerance for pain and their ethnicity, gender or age.
A<a href="http://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(15)00679-3/fulltext"> study</a>, published in the Journal of Pain, also found that “women, older individuals, and non-Hispanics were more likely to report any pain. But the study showed that Asians were &#8220;less likely” to report pain. The conclusion was that “the impact of gender on pain is influenced by race and ethnicity.” Another<a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002090"> study</a> found that chronic pain could arise through the combined effect of many genetic factors, and that the risk for chronic pain is heightened if there is also a genetic risk for depression.


The new 23andMe and Grünenthal study could shed more light on why these differences occur by understanding genetic factors associated with pain sensitivity, progression, severity, and response to treatments.

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