23andMe Research

People are walking a lot less and sleeping more since efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 began in March, according to new data compiled by 23andMe. Researchers looked at data from 33,000 individuals, who consented to participate in research, and included about 20 million data points tracking more than two months of activity. While we know the virus itself presents serious health risks, these changes in daily behavior may also impact our health in more subtle ways.

Preliminary data from 23andMe's massive COVID-19 study lends more support to the importance of blood type in susceptibility to the virus and the severity of symptoms. Early data indicate that the O blood type may be protective against COVID-19.

Using data from four million 23andMe research participants, scientists studying Parkinson's disease made new findings that may help efforts by drug hunters looking for ways to treat the disease. The study also included data from the Broad Institute's Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD) and was one of seven published in the journal Nature Medicine that leverage this data meant to bring together exome and sequence data from many sources for researchers.

Already with almost half a million participants, including several thousand who have had the virus, 23andMe is expanding its COVID-19 genetics study. The study is now open to people who have been hospitalized with severe cases of the virus but are not currently 23andMe customers.

A new 23andMe study found that many with a BRCA genetic variant associated with an increased risk for breast, ovarian, and other cancers do not have a strong family history of cancer meaning they would likely not qualify for clinical genetic testing under current criteria.

By Stella Aslibekyan, Briana Cameron and Teresa FilshteinA recent 23andMe blog post explored the old adage “you are what you eat,” examining the relationship between eating habits and their health...

In collaboration with scientists at the pharmaceutical company Grünenthal, 23andMe conducted an online pain study to better understand differences in pain sensitivity, as well as the role genetics plays how we experience pain.

We know genetics plays a role in the severity and susceptibility of other infectious diseases, but does genetics play a role in the severity of some cases of COVID-19? 23andMe is currently conducting research with the aim of learning more.

23andMe scientists began a study of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, to understand how genetics may influence the differences in severity of the disease among people.

As part of Parkinson's Awareness month, 23andME looks back over the now 11 years since we formed the Parkinson's Research Community and note some of what we've accomplished.