<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-11716 size-full alignright" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Q1-2012-Health-Watch-Word-Cloud.png" alt="" width="1496" height="692" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Q1-2012-Health-Watch-Word-Cloud.png 1496w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Q1-2012-Health-Watch-Word-Cloud-300x139.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Q1-2012-Health-Watch-Word-Cloud-768x355.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Q1-2012-Health-Watch-Word-Cloud-1024x474.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Q1-2012-Health-Watch-Word-Cloud-880x407.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Q1-2012-Health-Watch-Word-Cloud-1180x546.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1496px) 100vw, 1496px" />
Like many people around the world, the health content team at 23andMe rang in 2012 with resolutions of staying healthy and it seemed fitting to delve into the genetics underlying response to diet and exercise, eating behavior and cholesterol levels. As we eased in to the new year, we segued into reproduction, updating our existing reports on male infertility and gestational diabetes, and we also recently added new genetic associations for tuberculosis susceptibility, Hodgkin lymphoma, and atopic dermatitis.
In the end of February we paid tribute to rare diseases by celebrating <a href="../2012/02/29/did-you-know-its-not-so-rare-to-have-a-rare-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rare Disease Day</a> and putting out new reports for <a href="https://www.23andme.com/sarcoma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sarcoma</a> and <a href="https://www.23andme.com/mpn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN)</a> –  rare cancers that we are particularly passionate about as evidenced by our <a href="../2012/02/27/weve-come-a-long-long-way-together-but-were-not-there-yet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">innovative research efforts</a> for these conditions.
Read more about some of our new and updated reports…
<h6>Tying genetics to diet and exercise</h6>
Does exercise help you lose weight or does it barely seem to make a difference? Have you ever wondered why some people who eat a lot of fatty foods don’t gain weight while others seem to pack on the pounds? Our Response to Exercise and Response to Diet reports may provide insight into the genetics underlying these complex topics that are already known to be strongly influenced by behavior and environment. Similarly, if you tend to reach for second helpings, our report on eating behavior may also shed some light!
<h6>Insight into your cholesterol</h6>
Have you ever wondered why your LDL cholesterol level is naturally low or why it seems to stay high despite your best efforts to lower it? Towards the end of January we added a new report for LDL cholesterol – the “bad” cholesterol that is associated with heart disease – and updated our report on HDL cholesterol, which is the “good” cholesterol that is considered protective against heart disease. These reports may offer some clues for you,  but it’s important to keep in mind that the genetic landscape of cholesterol levels is highly complex and that lifestyle also plays a big role.
<h6>Genetic findings on reproductive health in Asians!</h6>
Sexual reproduction is what keeps the human species going, but from getting pregnant to having a healthy child, it doesn’t always work like a well-oiled machine. Approximately 15% of couples experience difficulties getting pregnant and <a href="../2012/02/06/snpwatch-genetic-variants-linked-to-male-infertility-in-asians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">about half of these cases</a> are due to male infertility. We’ve updated our Male Infertility report to include genetic variants that influence sperm count in Asian men. In February we also added new findings for Asian women to our report on gestational diabetes, a pregnancy complication with symptoms similar to type 2 diabetes that affects about 3-5% of pregnant women.
<h6>Revving up reports for rare diseases</h6>
In the United States, a disease is defined as “rare” if it affects<a href="http://rarediseaseday.us/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> fewer than 200,000 individuals</a>, or roughly one in 1500. Sarcoma and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) fall into this category and in early March we added new reports for both of these rare cancers. Although these reports are considered “preliminary research” findings, mainly because they were generated with relatively small study groups, they are still exciting progress in research on these rare disorders.
23andMe customers can find more details on these and other conditions in their accounts. Not a member? <a href="https://www.23andme.com/store" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit our store</a>, or set up a<a href="https://www.23andme.com/user/signup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> free trial account</a> to browse these and other reports.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Health Watch: New Year’s Resolutions, Reproduction and Rare Diseases

Editor&#8217;s note: This post has been edited to reflect changes to the 23andMe ancestry product. 
Nearly 37 million Americans claim to have Irish heritage according to a <a href="http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb11-ff03.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">national survey conducted in 2009</a>.
That’s over eight times the number of people living in Ireland today. Although it’s remarkable that nearly 1 in 10 Americans might say “Kiss Me I’m Irish!” on St. Patrick’s day, it’s not clear if all these people actually have Irish ancestors or if they simply feel an affinity for corned beef and green beer.
So how do you know if you have Irish ancestry? Often this information is passed down through family stories, for instance, my mother claims to be a quarter Irish and so I’m apparently one-eighth Irish.
But can I look at my DNA to verify this?
It turns out that <a href="../2010/09/29/ancestry-at-23andme-introducing-sheridan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">maternal and paternal lines</a> can offer some clues about Irish ancestry. 
In my case, my maternal line, traced through mitochondrial DNA that I inherited from my mother (thanks Mom!), told me that I’m a sub-type of a lineage called H6a (specifically H6a1b). H6a is is an offshoot of the broader H maternal line and is found at low levels – 4% or less – in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Sweden&#8230; and Ireland! So, although it doesn’t completely verify the story, this one branch of my ancestral tree is at least consistent with claims of Irish ancestry on my mother’s side.
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What is a “maternal line”? 
Maternal lines are inherited through mitochondrial DNA – both women and men have mitochondrial DNA, but it’s only the mother’s mitochondrial DNA that is passed on to a child.
What is a “paternal line”? 
Paternal lines are inherited through the Y chromosome, which only men have. (Remember that women have two X chromosomes while men have one X and one Y chromosome). Since women don’t inherit a Y chromosome, they must trace their paternal line through their father’s, brother’s or paternal uncle’s Y-chromosome data.
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If instead, I want to see if I have Irish ancestry on my father’s side (even though my father has never claimed to be Irish!), I can investigate my paternal line, which is traced through DNA on the Y chromosome and passed from father to son.
Even though I don’t have a Y chromosome, I can learn about my paternal line through my biological brother’s or father’s DNA.
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2799514/?tool=pubmed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">85% of Irish men</a> belong to a paternal lineage called R1b1b2, but since this line is also common across the rest of western Europe, it doesn’t definitively determine if a man has Irish ancestry. If a man has a sub-type of this lineage (called R1b1b2a1a2f2), however, it’s much more likely that his DNA might actually trace to Ireland. Research suggests that many men of this line are descendants of an Irish king named “Niall of the Nine Hostages” who ruled during the 4th and 5th centuries.
According to legend, Niall led one of the most powerful and enduring Irish kingdoms and it has been suggested that because of high rates of Irish emigration to North America and other parts of the world,<a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8600-medieval-irish-warlord-boasts-three-million-descendants.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> up to two or three million</a> men descend from Niall!
<a href="../2010/09/16/ancestry-at-23andme-what-can-you-learn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Learning about our ancestry</a> is particularly fun when we can toast to it. Even if you don’t have Irish ancestry, we wish you a Happy St. Patrick’s day and encourage you to explore the hidden stories in your DNA.

Did You Know? DNA Can Offer Clues about Irish Ancestry.

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<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-8518 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/RDD_white_lg-300x287.jpg" alt="Rare Disease Day logo" width="300" height="287" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/RDD_white_lg-300x287.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/RDD_white_lg.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
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Today, February 29, is <a href="http://rarediseaseday.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rare Disease Day</a>, a concept first initiated by the European Rare Disease Organization (EURORDIS) and now recognized worldwide.
When we think about diseases we often describe them as either common or rare. Common conditions – like heart disease and obesity – are complex in nature, meaning they are influenced by genetics and the environment. Conversely, most rare diseases are strongly influenced by genetics and less so by the environment. We hear a lot about common conditions because so many people have them, and in contrast, relatively little about rare diseases. But how rare is rare?
In the United States, a disease is defined as “rare” if it affects <a href="http://rarediseaseday.us/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fewer than 200,000 individuals</a> or roughly one in 1500. Rare diseases are often poorly understood, with symptoms that can be difficult to diagnose and can be life-threatening. Around 6,800 rare diseases have been identified and the large majority of them – up to 80% – are thought to have a genetic origin. Most rare diseases can’t be cured, and many lack effective treatments because research on rare conditions is often hampered by a scarcity of study participants and poor funding.
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<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11402" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Global-Genes-Project-300x278.png" alt="" width="300" height="278" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Global-Genes-Project-300x278.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Global-Genes-Project-768x712.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Global-Genes-Project-880x816.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Global-Genes-Project.png 954w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Join the Global Genes Projectâ„¢ and help unite one million people for rare diseases. The Global Genes Projectâ„¢ is a campaign that works to help individuals and organizations participate in this annual day of recognition for rare diseases. Getting involved can be as simple as putting on a pair of genes (ahem, jeans) – because 80% of rare diseases have a genetic origin – or as involved as organizing a local Denim &amp; Genes event.
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If you add up all the rare diseases, about 30 million Americans suffer from a rare disease. That’s nearly 10% of the population—suddenly, rare is not so rare! You’ve likely heard of at least some of these conditions, and 23andMe provides health reports for many of them, from cystic fibrosis to sickle cell anemia.
23andMe believes that our innovative research model can improve the treatment of rare diseases. So far, we’ve launched research initiatives for two rare diseases—myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and sarcoma—to better understand their causes and help bring about treatments. We are currently enrolling participants in both studies, so join our cause if you suffer from one of these disorders or know of someone who does.

Did You Know? It’s Not so Rare to Have a Rare Disease

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Sickle Cell Celebrities
<img decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-11141" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Miles_Davis_by_Palumbo-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Miles_Davis_by_Palumbo-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Miles_Davis_by_Palumbo-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Miles_Davis_by_Palumbo-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Miles_Davis_by_Palumbo-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Miles_Davis_by_Palumbo-574x574.jpg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Miles_Davis_by_Palumbo.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
A number of famous individuals have suffered from sickle cell anemia including Miles Davis, perhaps the most famous jazz musician to have lived (some consider his platinum-selling album Kind of Blue to be THE jazz album), and Tionne &#8216;T-Boz&#8217; Watkins, a singer and founder of the R&amp;B/hip-hop group TLC. NFL superstar Tiki Barber also has sickle cell anemia and has launched a health education campaign, Be Sickle Smart: Ask Tiki about Iron. Although there is no cure for sickle cell anemia, blood transfusions can be used to treat severe anemia.
Photo by Tom Palumbo from New York City, USA (Miles Davis) [<a href="http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CC-BY-SA-2.0</a>], via Wikimedia Commons.
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<a href="http://www.23andme.com/topics/carrier/sickle-cell-anemia/">Sickle cell disease</a> – a group of inherited red blood cell disorders – affects millions of people around the world, but is particularly common among those with ancestry tracing to sub-Saharan Africa. In the United States alone, about 100,000 people have the disease and roughly<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/data.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> one in 500</a> black or African-American babies is born with it.
Sickle cell disease is caused by having two mutated copies of the hemoglobin (HBB) gene (one from mom and another from dad). A person with two copies of the S version of the HBB gene (S is short for “sickle”) typically has sickle cell anemia; other versions of HBB are associated with<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/facts.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> milder forms of anemia</a>. The rates of sickle cell disease are so high because roughly<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/data.html"> one in 13</a> Americans with African ancestry carries one mutated copy of the HBB gene and thus has <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/traits.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sickle cell trait</a>. People with sickle cell trait typically do not have any symptoms of sickle cell disease, but can pass the disease on to their children – if both parents are carriers (and thus have the trait) there is a 25% chance that their child will develop sickle cell disease, a 50% chance that their child will also be a carrier, and only a 25% chance that their child will not be affected or a carrier. For people planning to have a child, knowing one’s carrier status could be useful information.
The mutation underlying sickle cell disease causes red blood cells, which are responsible for delivering oxygen to the tissues, to stiffen and take on a crescent shape that clogs blood vessels. As a result, people with sickle cell anemia have a hard time getting oxygen to certain parts of the body. In the short term, this causes excruciating episodes of pain called &#8220;crises” and in the long term repeated episodes of reduced blood flow can damage organs.
Why would a genetic mutation that causes a harmful disease to survive through evolution to the high frequency with which we observe it today? It turns out that people with the S version of the HBB gene are protected against malaria and thus survive better in parts of the world where malaria is common. Over time, having just one S version of HBB – and thus having the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/traits.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sickle cell trait</a> – improved the survival rate in human history so much that this mutation continues to exist in spite of the disease burden it causes. Read more about evolutionary trade-offs in genetics in a <a href="../2008/07/22/the-ultimate-trade-off-genes-environment-and-why-we-crave-twinkies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">previous blog post</a>.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11179" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Sicklecells.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="200" />Sickle cell anemia causes red blood cells, normally flexible and disc-shaped, to form stiff crescents that can clog blood vessels. (Image via Wikimedia Commons.)
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-11174 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Malaria_geographic_distribution_2003-300x135.png" alt="" width="300" height="135" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Malaria_geographic_distribution_2003-300x135.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Malaria_geographic_distribution_2003.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The geographic distribution of the sickle cell trait and malaria are strikingly similar. This map shows that malaria is found worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions (shaded yellow). (Image via Wikimedia Commons.)
February is <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/black-history-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Black History Month</a> – stay tuned for more posts!

One in Thirteen African Americans has a Sickle Cell Trait

Not all the discoveries made on 23andMe are quite as profound as <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/stories-from-23andme-neil-schwartzman" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Neil Schwartzman</a> finding his half-sister and mother, but even when 23andMe’s Relative Finder links distant cousins together those connections can still be electric.
Gerald Lopez, a customer who found a fourth or fifth cousin and information about his mixed ancestry, said it was like discovering “history that’s not written in history books.”
23andMe’s <a title="Relative Finder" href="https://www.23andme.com/ancestry/relfinder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Relative Finder</a> &nbsp;uses genetic data instead of archived records to identify family relationships. Where written paper records fail, genetic information can sometimes fill in the gaps. Pieces of DNA are passed down from generation-to-generation, so that our genetic data is our own repository of information about our ancestry. Comparing any two people’s DNA can also determine whether they are related.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-9549 size-medium" title="RF Results Sample" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/RF-Results-Sample-300x65.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="65" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/RF-Results-Sample-300x65.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/RF-Results-Sample.jpg 569w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Customers have identified more than 700 previously unknown family relationships discovered through Relative Finder. They’ve found fifth and fourth cousins like Gerald and a few, like Neil, have even found parents and siblings.
Among our more than <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/state-of-the-database-2011" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">100,000 customers</a>, Relative Finder has identified 82,000 relationships that are either 4th cousins or closer.
Recently we updated Relative Finder to make it easier to use and search. Now users can show genealogical information &#8212; surnames, family locations, etc. This makes it easier for users to sort through potential matches. We also updated Relative Finder so that users can record notes about their matches, and confirm relationships. And the information available is rapidly increasing.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a genealogist, you might be surprised how fulfilling it can be to discover a common connection. You can remain anonymous if you choose, and only information in your profile that you designate as “visible to all 23andMe members” will be shown to your Relative Finder matches, so you can share as little or as much as you like.
And if you need help tracing a connection, many experienced Relative Finder “sleuths” are available in the community to offer tips and encouragement.
If there’s something that binds all 23andMe users together, it is a healthy curiosity about themselves and their DNA. So let Relative Finder broaden your horizons and let your DNA give you more to relate to!
If you’ve already discovered something interesting about your family through Relative Finder, do tell. We’re interested in hearing your stories &#8212; simply send them along to <a href="mailto:stories@23andme.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stories@23andme.com</a>.
<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/category/23andme-customer-stories/">Read more 23andMe customer stories &gt;&gt;</a>

Making Connections with Relative Finder

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-9320" title="Blaine Bettinger's Facebook Page" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Blaine-Bettingers-Facebook-Page-300x272.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="272" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Blaine-Bettingers-Facebook-Page-300x272.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Blaine-Bettingers-Facebook-Page.jpg 720w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Whether they’re over-sharing or taking bold action in the name of science, people who willingly make their genome public are pushing researchers, policy-makers and others to tackle hefty issues with no readymade answers.
At Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s second annual <a href="http://www.healthtech.com/bsq" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Beyond Sequencing”</a> conference in San Francisco this week, a group of   panelists attempted to address the impact on science and society “When People Share Their Genomes on Facebook.”
Granted, people are not posting their DNA sequences en masse on their Facebook walls or deciding who to friend based on whether their haplogroup is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_J1c3_%28Y-DNA%29" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">J1c</a>. But, starting with George Church’s<a href="http://www.personalgenomes.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Personal Genome Project</a>, a growing list (here, here and <a href="http://www.snpedia.com/index.php/Genomes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>) of people have decided to make their genetic information public. And yes, some have <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#%21/notes/blaine-t-bettinger/my-genome-online-a-challenge-to-you/10150208400822377" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">posted</a> their results on Facebook. Blaine T. Bettinger took his 23andMe raw data and made it available for download. He has even challenged others to do the same in the hope that it will lead to new discoveries, or trigger useful discussions about genetics.
<a href="http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Kevin-Davies/1879979/biography" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kevin Davies</a>, editor in chief of Bio-IT World and the author of “The $1,000 Genome,” called these folks “genome pioneers.” The idea is that any new concept needs people who are willing to take risks others wouldn’t in the name of making breakthroughs. You need someone like a <a href="http://www.chuckyeager.com/#/YEAGER_ADVENTURE/1945-1947_MACH_BUSTER%29" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chuck Yeager</a> to seal himself into a Bell X-1 aircraft and risk it all to get it to Mach 1 so that future generations can enjoy the benefits of jet flight while only having to endure the perils of airplane food and TSA checkpoints.
Jonathan Eisen, an evolutionary biologist at UC Davis Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and an Adjunct Scientist at the Joint Genome Institute, sees these pioneers more as part of what he calls the “open science” movement. These are individuals – often do-it-yourselfers, citizen scientists, or BioPunks – with  a belief that freeing up information for those working outside traditional labs will lead to discovery.
Part of the panel discussion also looked at what those pioneers are risking when they make their genomes public.
<a href="http://law.wisc.edu/profiles/pnossorio@wisc.edu" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pilar Ossorio</a>, an associate professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, warned that a person who puts their genetic information into the public domain cedes control over how that data is used. While laws like the <a href="https://www.genome.gov/24519851" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act</a> (GINA) prevent discrimination by employers or health  insurance companies based on genetic information there’s nothing to “regulate things like stigmatization,&#8221; Ossorio said.
As with a lot of discussions regarding genetic science there was a moment of science fiction when one panelist raised the specter of a dystopian future and the film <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gattaca</a>. But Kamlesh “Kam” Patel, of Sandia National Laboratories, quickly turned to a more optimistic future. He said social media could help people personalize their health care and connect to like-minded communities for both information and researech into their health concerns. “It’s the interconnectivity that these social media giants provide us,” said Patel, who envisioned a time when his doctor could monitor his health progress through his Facebook page.
At 23andMe we give people access to their genetic information while protecting their privacy, but we also empower them to connect with a broader community.
“That’s part of the success of the 23andMe model that it is a limited distribution of that information,” said UC Davis’ Eisen.
But 23andMe was also founded on the idea that engaging people in their own genetic exploration could accelerate research.
Bio-IT World’s Davies singled out 23andMe as the kind of model that allowed customers to participate in a “thriving social network” while maintaining their privacy. He pointed to 23andMe’s <a href="https://www.23andme.com/pd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Parkinson’s Disease Research Initaitive</a>, which has enrolled more than 5,000 participants and has already identified two new genetic variants associated with the disease in addition to confirming 20 others.
“They’re seeing the value of crowd sourcing,” he said. “It’s phenomenally exciting.”

“When People Share their Genome on Facebook”

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When we announced the release of our newest genotyping platform and offered an extended holiday sale last year, people who had been waiting for an affordable opportunity to get a glimpse of their genomes jumped at the chance.
Existing customers also acted on the news, signing up friends and family and even purchasing upgrades for themselves. As we mentioned in an earlier <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/press/20101124/">press release</a>, the latest genotyping platform (&#8220;V3&#8221;) provides customers with data on nearly one million SNPs, compared to about 600,000 on the previous version (&#8220;V2&#8221;).
The process of upgrading platforms also provided us with additional data about SNPs on V2 that enabled us to improve our genotype calling algorithms for many SNPs systematically across both platforms, in addition to the algorithmic improvements we make routinely throughout the year.
As an existing customer on V2, you may be wondering whether you should upgrade, and what to expect if you do. 
Keep in mind that unless you&#8217;re interested in sifting through the raw data, you might not gain that much from upgrading right away. The real value of V3 will come over time as 23andMe researchers pull together information from the scientific literature to provide meaningful connections between specific SNPs and health conditions, and improve algorithms for ancestry analyses. When and if you upgrade is a decision you should evaluate for yourself after seeing the information for V3 accumulate.
Some who have already upgraded, however, may notice specific differences between V2 and V3 on top of the sheer number of SNPs.
Although a major consideration for V3 was backwards compatibility, about 30,000 SNPs that were available on V2 are not available on V3 simply because the SNPs did not successfully make it through the manufacturing process (this is expected for large genotyping platforms).
There is also a small subset of SNPs that will require manual adjustment before the data can be reported reliably back to customers, including SNPs specific to the Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA, as well as several SNPs used to calculate results for the ABO Blood Type Health Lab. The majority of these cases should be addressed in the next few weeks.
Other differences, all very slight, that customers upgraded to V3 may notice are addressed in this community post (you must be logged into your account to view).
These include small changes to percentages in Ancestry Painting, Relative Finder, and Family Inheritance, as well as minor changes to specific haplogroup assignments.
Customers can expect to have the following approximate numbers of SNPs for their genotyping platform:
V2 only: 576,000 SNPs
V3 only: 967,000 SNPs
V2 + V3 (upgraded): 996,000 SNPs
The number and exact set of SNPs for which you have genotype data &#8212; as opposed to a &#8220;no call&#8221; result &#8212; will differ from these numbers and vary from person to person due to data quality control measures. V2 customers who upgrade to V3 will have &#8220;no calls&#8221; from their V2 results filled in by V3 data if the SNP is present on V3 and their V3 result for it passed quality control.
The raw data files for the two genotyping platforms will also be merged to provide a single raw data file.
We are excited to welcome the thousands of new 23andMe members who have just received their data and are beginning to explore the features of the service. We look forward to keeping everyone up to date on the latest research connecting genetics to your health and ancestry!
Customers genotyped on previous versions of the platform can learn more about upgrading here. Note that upgrades require a subscription to the Personal Genome Service.
For specific questions about your account or about the service, please contact <a href="mailto:help@23andme.com">help@23andme.com</a>.

Upgrading to the New Chip? What to Expect.

<table style="float: right; text-align: right; width: 300px;">
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<td><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-8313" title="asparagus" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/asparagus.png" alt="" width="60" height="60" /></td>
<td><img decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-8314" title="redhairfreckles" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/redhairfreckles.gif" alt="" height="60" /></td>
<td><img decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-8315" title="tongue-flip" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tongue-flip.gif" alt="" height="60" /></td>
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<td><img decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-8316" title="hyperextension" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/hyperextension.gif" alt="" height="60" /></td>
<td><img decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-7844" title="cartoon-baldness" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/cartoon-baldness.png" alt="" height="60" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/cartoon-baldness.png 443w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/cartoon-baldness-300x272.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 443px) 100vw, 443px" /></td>
<td><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-8317" title="handedness" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/handedness.png" alt="" width="60" height="60" /></td>
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</tbody>
</table>
Do you have your father&#8217;s eyes or your mother&#8217;s curly hair?
Do you have trouble drinking milk, or flush when you drink alcohol?
Many traits such as eye color, alcohol flush, and the texture of your hair are determined&#8212;at least in part&#8212;by genetics. Learning about them also helps make genetics more real. We can observe many traits directly, compare them between people, and see how some of them are passed down through families.
But traits aren&#8217;t limited to things you can see. They include whether you can smell certain odors, the levels of hormones or other molecules circulating in your body, and even whether you&#8217;re more resistant or susceptible to infectious microbes. The circus of human traits can be wide, weird&#8212;and wildly wonderful.
With 23andMe&#8217;s Trait reports, you can get a glimpse into more than 40 different human traits influenced by genetic factors. While you can &#8220;verify&#8221; certain things about yourself using these reports, it&#8217;s important to keep in mind that genetics is rarely the whole story. Your environment, lifestyle, and personal and family history can play a major role in what foods you like, your cholesterol level, whether you contract an infectious disease, and how tall you are, to name just a few things.
So what do my genetics say about some of my traits?
<img decoding="async" class="alignright size-large wp-image-17348" style="border: 1px solid #ccc;" title="traits-list" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/traits-list-700x596.png" alt="" width="500" />
As I mentioned in the previous post about Drug Response, I do flush when I drink alcohol. This is because I have one copy of a variant that disrupts a gene called ALDH2, which is involved in breaking down a toxic byproduct of alcohol.
The disruptive variant is fairly common in East Asians, so it&#8217;s not surprising that I have it. My dad also has this variant and displays the alcohol flush trait, but my mom has two working copies of the gene. As luck would have it, my two brothers won the genetic lottery on that one&#8212;they got working copies from both parents!
Another trait that displays population-specific differences is Earwax Type. Most people don&#8217;t even know there are different types of earwax, but our ancestors probably all had wet earwax, and dry earwax arose later in northeast Asia, most likely due to a single variant in a gene called ABCC11. If you&#8217;re East Asian like I am, your earwax is probably the dry type (check!), but if you&#8217;re not, you probably have wet earwax.
Not all traits are determined by single genes like Alcohol Flush and Earwax Type. Many, like Eye Color and Hair Curl, are influenced by a number of genes, and 23andMe&#8217;s Trait reports may only provide information on a subset of them.
Other traits can be affected by non-genetic factors; <a href="https://www.23andme.com/health/Lactose-Intolerance/">Lactose Intolerance</a>, for example, can be partly or effectively compensated for by the types of bacteria you have in your gut (indeed, this is probably what&#8217;s happened in my case, for I used to be less tolerant of dairy products than I am now).
For these reasons, the results suggested by the reports may sometimes differ from your personal experience.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-8321" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" title="eyecolor-table" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/eyecolor-table.png" alt="" width="369" height="238" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/eyecolor-table.png 461w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/eyecolor-table-300x194.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 369px) 100vw, 369px" />
A common example of this comes up with the Eye Color trait&#8212;the report may say &#8220;Likely Blue&#8221; but you might actually have brown eyes, or vice versa. The discrepancy stems from the fact that the genetic variant presented in the report is not the only variant that determines eye color. It does, however, give pretty good estimates: if you have two copies of the A version of the SNP (like I do), you have an 85% chance of having brown eyes and a 14% chance of having green eyes; if you have two copies of the G version, you have a 72% chance of having blue eyes and a 27% chance of green eyes.
One copy each of A and G gives you an intermediate probabilities of brown, green, or blue eyes. So while the report may say that you are likely to have brown, or blue, eyes, there is still a chance that you don&#8217;t! As more research uncovers additional variants that influence eye color, we may be able to update the report to improve the predictions.
All of our reports offer the curious individual an opportunity to learn more about the genetics&#8212;and non-genetic factors&#8212;underlying human health and traits, from the everyday to the bizarre. You might be amazed to discover that some people can smell a specific odor in their urine after eating <a href="https://www.23andme.com/health/asparagus-metabolite-detection/">asparagus</a> (or can&#8217;t smell it!) or that others <a href="https://www.23andme.com/health/photic-sneeze-reflex/">sneeze</a> whenever they go out into bright sunlight, a condition charmingly referred to as &#8220;ACHOO syndrome.&#8221; Or perhaps you&#8217;re more interested in learning about how your genetic variants might influence how you <a href="https://www.23andme.com/health/response-diet-exercise/">respond to different diets or exercise</a>. With traits, there&#8217;s always something for everyone!
<div>Curious about possible traits for your child? Or wonder what your chances were of having green eyes? Customers can use the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/you/inheritance/">Inheritance Calculator tool</a> to see offsprings’ probability for 6 common traits using different combinations of “parents.” (Note, you must be sharing genomes with someone to select him or her as a “parent” in Inheritance Calculator.)</div>
<div></div>
Have some unique or favorite traits of your own? Customers can help contribute to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/research/">research</a> on the genetics of dozens of human traits by taking <a href="https://www.23andme.com/you/23andwe/surveys/">surveys</a> about footedness, handedness, physical features, and pigmentation, among others.
<div style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ccc; background-color: #ffc;">More Health at 23andMe posts: 
 
<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-and-you/genetics-101/health-at-23andme-what-can-you-learn/" target="_self" rel="noopener noreferrer">Health at 23andMe: What Can You Learn?</a>(Carrier status for Inherited Conditions)When One Size Doesn&#8217;t Fit All &#8211; (the genetics of Drug Response)
</div>
For a refresher course on genetics or help navigating the service, visit  <a href="https://www.23andme.com/gen101/genes/">Genetics 101</a> on our website, or see our  Frequently Asked Questions.
Check out our companion series,  <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/2010/09/16/ancestry-at-23andme-what-can-you-learn/">Ancestry at 23andMe</a>, and other articles in  <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/category/23andme-how-to/">23andMe How-To</a>.

Health at 23andMe: The Circus of Human Traits

Sheridan* can hardly believe that using 23andMe ancestry tools allowed her to learn something about her deep ancestry on her mother’s side, placed herself genetically among the different populations of the world, connected with a potential fifth cousin, discovered a potential second cousin, and traced a fourth cousin shared DNA connection with her life-long friend Brian (who has Irish ancestry) to a specific spot in their genomes.
When they last parted, Brian had promised to go through his collection of genealogical records for historical clues and Sheridan had sent an introductory message to her intriguing second cousin match.
Now, a few days later, Sheridan and Brian are back in the coffee shop, heads bent over Brian’s dog-eared notebook.
Labeled photographs, scraps of note paper, and photocopied documents stuffed into manila folders lay strewn across the table.
“So the most promising records I have are from my father’s side of the family in the mid-18th century,” says Brian, pointing at a square on a family tree diagram.
“My paternal grandfather Ryan Killoran was my first direct ancestor in the U.S. But I’m not sure if our connection would be through that line anyway &#8212; if it was, it would have to be through one of my ancestors in Ireland.”
He taps the page and traces his finger up the tree.
“But I’ve traced his line in Ireland back to Molly Murphy, my great-great-great-great grandmother, born 1846 in Dublin. Even though her son Colm Murphy stayed in Ireland, her daughter &#8212; my great-great-great grand&#8230; aunt? &#8212; Orla Murphy married Donal Fitzpatrick and they settled in South Carolina in around 1889. I found some records of property that they owned there.”
Gesturing to the piles of paper on the table, Brian says, “The rest of this is pretty much about Killorans and Murphys. Some newspaper clippings with marriage announcements and obituaries, more property records, census records, the ship passenger list my grandfather was on, some notes my grandfather had brought with him&#8230;”
Sheridan had been staring intently at the diagram Brian had drawn out.
“So you think our common ancestor might be Molly Murphy, through Orla and Donal Fitzpatrick on my side and Colm Murphy on your side?”
“That’s my guess,” shrugs Brian, “but there are a lot of possibilities!”
Well, I got a reply from my second cousin yesterday asking if there was anything I knew that might be useful,” says Sheridan. “I wrote back saying that I had an Irish fourth cousin and an African-American fifth cousin match. In fact, I should log in now and see if he’s replied!”
Opening up her laptop, she quickly logs in to her 23andMe account and finds a new message from her second cousin in her inbox.
<blockquote>Hi Sheridan,
An Irish fourth cousin, you say? That’s interesting &#8212; My grandmother’s sister (on my father’s side) married a Fitzpatrick. I think that’s the most relevant surname I can give you. The others I know of kind of range all over: Avey, Wojcicki, Saxonov, Kutcher, Mountain, Gould, Kompel, Khomenko. I can give you a full list if you’d like. I don’t personally have more details about the Fitzpatrick line or any descendants there but I might be able to help find more information through my grandmother. I also don’t have any African ancestry as far as I can tell &#8212; my Ancestry Painting is 100% European.
Cheers, 
Mike</blockquote>
Sheridan and Brian sit stunned for a moment, then, “Fitzpatrick!” Brian cries triumphantly just as Sheridan blurts out “Ancestry Painting?”
They both start talking, stop, then start again. Finally Brian puts his hand up and takes a deep breath.
“Ok,” he says, “So your second cousin Mike’s grandmother’s sister married someone with the last name Fitzpatrick. That’s the same name that my great-great-great grand aunt married into, and the genealogical placement is consistent with both of our match predictions!” He starts furiously scribbling circles and squares and lines on a piece of paper. “But where do I connect this to yours&#8230;” he wonders. “Your mother or your father?”
Trying to follow his haphazard pen-strokes, Sheridan furrows her brow and says, “Wait, can we step back a second? What’s this thing called Ancestry Painting?”
<div style="padding: 10px; margin-bottom: 15px; background-color: #ffc;">Jan 2013 &#8211; Editor&#8217;s note: Ancestry Painting has been significantly updated and is now known as Ancestry Composition. The images below reflect the previous Ancestry Painting. Stay tuned for an update on Sheridan and her new Ancestry Composition!</div>
Brian stops abruptly, pen frozen in the air. “You haven’t looked at your Ancestry Painting?”
“Um.. no,” says Sheridan somewhat sheepishly.
“I kind of got caught up in everything else. Was I supposed to?”
“Well, it’s kind of the first thing most people look at,” Brian explains, shoving his pen and paper out of the way and grabbing his laptop. He shows her his Ancestry Painting as an example.
“I mean, mine just shows 100% European, but yours could actually be really interesting! Go look!”
Sheridan clicks on her Ancestry Painting and a graphical view of her 23 chromosomes appears in a dramatic splash of color.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7687" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px;" title="sheridan-painting" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sheridan-painting.png" alt="" width="536" height="426" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sheridan-painting.png 765w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sheridan-painting-300x239.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 536px) 100vw, 536px" />
“Wow, that’s neat!” says Brian, practically clapping his hands in glee. He squints at the screen, trying to parse the color patterns.
“Well, your ancestry’s definitely mixed, all right.”
“So the bottom half of each of the chromosomes is blue,” Sheridan points out. “Does that mean one of my parents is definitely blue? European, I mean?”
“You’re right &#8212; one of your parents has fully European ancestry! With some statistical noise I&#8217;m guessing, but that could be normal&#8230;”
Brian starts jotting down notes on a new sheet of paper. “And the other half is mostly African ancestry but has a bunch of European and a tiny bit of Asian &#8212; I think that’s pretty consistent with African-Americans&#8230; now what else do we know?”
Sheridan recounts the various clues the other ancestry tools at 23andMe have told her. After writing all of this down, they look at the list together:
<div style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<ol>
<li>One parent 100% European ancestry</li>
<li>One parent mixed ancestry, mostly African (African-American?)</li>
<li>Maternal haplogroup H2a (Probably European, see 1?)</li>
<li>Globally similar to Northern Africans (mixed ancestry &#8211; in between Europe and Africa)</li>
<li>5th cousin African-American</li>
<li>2nd cousin 100% European ancestry, grand-aunt married Fitzpatrick</li>
<li>Brian = 4th cousin, great-great-great grand-aunt married Fitzpatrick and came to U.S.</li>
</ol>
</div>
It’s starting to make sense, Sheridan can feel it, but she can’t quite form a concrete picture in her mind. Brian, though, can tell that a family tree will be useful here, and so he once again takes pen to paper.
“I’m going to guess that your mother is the parent with European ancestry based on the haplogroup,” he muses. “But it’s not necessarily so. Either way, that parent is almost certainly the one through which your second cousin and I are related to you, since your second cousin is 100% European. And then your fifth cousin&#8230; she might be through your other parent, the one that might be African-American&#8230;”
It takes a few false starts and clean slates but finally he thinks he has it mostly worked out.
&#8220;There!&#8221; Brian says triumphantly.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7690" title="sheridan-tree-full" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sheridan-tree-full-951x1024.jpg" alt="" width="514" height="553" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sheridan-tree-full-951x1024.jpg 951w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sheridan-tree-full-279x300.jpg 279w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sheridan-tree-full-768x827.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sheridan-tree-full-818x880.jpg 818w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sheridan-tree-full-1096x1180.jpg 1096w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sheridan-tree-full.jpg 1806w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 514px) 100vw, 514px" />
Sheridan pulls the drawing in front of her and stares. It&#8217;s like a map of her past &#8212; or, rather, the people and events in the past that led to her, Sheridan, 27 years old, sitting in a coffee shop and searching for answers. Even though most of it is still uncharted, she can see the paths that connect her to other people such as Mike and Brian. Other paths, such as the one connecting her to Akina, are still a mystery, but she now has a place to start. And through some of her distant relatives, she may eventually be able to fill in the gaps that are her mother and father.
When she finally looks up, Brian punches her playfully in the shoulder.
&#8220;You should see yourself,&#8221; he says. &#8220;You&#8217;ve got this dreamy far-off look and goofy grin going on.&#8221;
&#8220;Why don&#8217;t you you pat yourself on the back some more,&#8221; she flashes back. &#8220;You couldn&#8217;t look more smug!&#8221;
They laugh at each other.
&#8220;Well,&#8221; says Sheridan, as they start packing up, &#8220;I think that&#8217;ll do it for today. And I think I need a drink.&#8221;
Brian looks at his watch. &#8220;It&#8217;s a little after 5 &#8212; we could have some drinks and grab some dinner.&#8221; He zips up his bag and slings it over his head.
&#8220;I know a great Irish pub that serves authentic colcannon&#8230; you know, connect with your roots and all&#8230;&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t even know what that dish is,&#8221; says Sheridan, &#8220;but I&#8217;d love to.&#8221;
And they head out the door.
* The people and events described in these posts are fictional.

23andMe and You — Page 9