Pre-pandemic, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm">heart disease</a> kills more Americans than any other condition each year. So understanding your risks for heart disease and learning how to mitigate them is a good first step toward prevention.
Heart disease itself is really several different conditions but the most common is coronary artery disease which develops due to a build-up of plaque that narrows your arteries and restricts blood flow. Over time, this can affect your heart&#8217;s rhythm, damage your heart muscles, obstruct blood flow, and put you at a higher risk of heart attack or stroke.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28529 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Heart-Health-Intro-1-1-160x300.png" alt="" width="160" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Heart-Health-Intro-1-1-160x300.png 160w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Heart-Health-Intro-1-1-545x1024.png 545w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Heart-Health-Intro-1-1-768x1444.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Heart-Health-Intro-1-1-468x880.png 468w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Heart-Health-Intro-1-1-628x1180.png 628w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Heart-Health-Intro-1-1.png 982w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px" />
<h6>A Healthy Heart</h6>
The best recipe for a healthy heart is eating right, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight. But understanding other underlying risks for heart disease is also important. Your family&#8217;s health history, age, and ethnicity can all play a role in your risk for heart disease. Taking healthy actions to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar can help reduce your risk.
23andMe’s Health + Ancestry Service offers several reports that look at heart-related conditions, including reports on familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), TTR-related hereditary amyloidosis, and type 2 diabetes (powered by 23andMe research).* 
<h6>Going Deeper</h6>
But for customers who want to go deeper, we also offer <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andmeplus">23andMe+ Premium</a>, an annual membership with 10+ exclusive reports and features delivered to you throughout the year‡. Among those reports and features, there are reports powered by 23andMe research on a <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/heart-health/">number of heart-related conditions</a>, including atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol.
Just added to that list is a 23andMe+ Premium report on Triglycerides — a type of fat, or lipid, that the body uses to store energy from food for future use. High triglyceride levels are associated with an increased likelihood of developing heart disease, stroke, and sometimes pancreatitis.
<h6>Triglycerides Report</h6>
The 23andMe+ Premium Triglycerides report is powered by a statistical model using data from millions of 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research. Unlike Genetic Health Risk reports* that use a few variants known to have a large impact on risk-based on external studies, the report, powered by 23andMe research, creates a polygenic score that includes more than 4,000 genetic markers to estimate the likelihood of developing high triglyceride levels. Having high triglyceride levels is defined as 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) or more. The model also takes into account a customer&#8217;s ethnicity and sex. The report does not diagnose high triglycerides. If you are concerned about your likelihood of developing high triglycerides, or have questions about your report, consult with a healthcare professional.
Many people in the U.S. develop high triglycerides levels, but because there are typically no symptoms many remain unaware that their levels are elevated. Most people only learn that they have an issue because they’ve had a lipid panel done, so learning about an increased genetic likelihood could start a conversation with a doctor and spur action to lower their chances. Healthy lifestyle habits can help lower triglycerides and reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke. Those actions include maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding sugary foods, and replacing saturated fats in your diet with healthier unsaturated fats. Those are fats from vegetable oils, nuts, and fish, for example. It&#8217;s also recommended to limit alcohol consumption. Also, regular exercise — 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise on most days of the week — can go a long way toward <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/">maintaining heart health</a>.
Find out more about 23andMe&#8217;s Health + Ancestry Service or 23andMe+ Premium membership go <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry?sub=ver2&amp;cabt=nao">here</a>.
<hr />
*23andMe health predisposition reports include both reports that meet FDA requirements for genetic health risks and reports which are based on 23andMe research and have not been reviewed by the FDA. The test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. For important information and limitations regarding each genetic health risk report, visit 23andme.com/test-info/.
‡ 10+ reports and features will be added annually from January to December.

An illustration of a heart for heart health

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Heart Disease and Triglycerides, A New 23andMe+ Premium Report

It started with bad sinus infections, then regular bouts of bronchitis, a seasonal cycle that gradually worsened over three decades.
About ten years ago, this cycle evolved into <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/study-on-pneumonia">pneumonia</a>, putting Claudia, now a 67-year-old mother and grandmother in Seattle, in the ICU for a few days.
&#8220;I understand the signs now, but the first time it happened, I had this pain around the chest, a bad cough and cold,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I felt uncomfortable.&#8221;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-29777" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Claudia-and-Vern-Feature-Image.png" alt="" width="1853" height="1806" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Claudia-and-Vern-Feature-Image.png 1853w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Claudia-and-Vern-Feature-Image-300x292.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Claudia-and-Vern-Feature-Image-768x749.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Claudia-and-Vern-Feature-Image-1024x998.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Claudia-and-Vern-Feature-Image-880x858.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Claudia-and-Vern-Feature-Image-1180x1150.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1853px) 100vw, 1853px" />
<h2>A Medical Mystery</h2>
Doctors thought she might be having a heart attack, but X-rays of her lungs indicated pneumonia. That was about ten years ago, and now Claudia can discern the pattern as the illness comes on, which often starts with cold symptoms.
But even after that, she simply didn&#8217;t know why it was happening to her. Why was she so susceptible to sinus infections, bronchitis, and, worst of all, pneumonia? Why did she have trouble breathing sometimes? And neither did her doctors.
In her 30s, when she first started having difficulty catching her breath, she went to a pulmonary specialist who did a battery of tests. One of her doctors suggested that she had exercise-induced asthma. He gave her an inhaler. But the inhaler never seemed to help. Another doctor said that perhaps Claudia wasn&#8217;t doing enough exercise. She felt some of those treating her but thought it was all in her head. Although she has exercised regularly since her early 20s, she was told that perhaps she wasn’t exercising enough.
But not long ago, Claudia and her doctor solved the decades-long medical mystery with a bit of help from her 23andMe results.
&#8220;So, I&#8217;ve probably had this all along,&#8221; she said. &#8220;But if it hadn&#8217;t been for 23andMe, I would still be floundering.&#8221;
<h2>An Alpha</h2>
Claudia is an &#8220;Alpha,&#8221; as people with her condition sometimes call themselves. She has<a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/alpha-1-antitrypsin-deficiency"> alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency</a> (AATD), a genetic disease that affects an estimated<a href="https://www.alphanet.org/what-is-alpha-1/"> 120,000 Americans</a>, but only about six percent of those with AATD are correctly diagnosed. The condition decreases levels of the alpha-1 antitrypsin protein, leading to damage to the lungs and liver.
23andMe&#8217;s Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Genetic Health Risk Report* looks at the two most common variants linked to this deficiency, the PI*Z and PI*S variants of the SERPINA1 gene. Claudia saw in her report that she had two copies of the PI*Z variant, which put her at an increased risk of developing the lung and liver disease associated with AATD.
But when she first saw this, it didn&#8217;t register. She&#8217;d never heard of the condition before, and even though she saw that it could impact a person&#8217;s lungs, she thought that if it were an issue, her doctor would have noted it.
Meanwhile, various doctors tried to figure out what was going on. She had taken the nurse&#8217;s advice during another pneumonia treatment. The nurse told her there was likely something causing this recurrent condition. She went through several tests and consulted with a pulmonologist, who couldn&#8217;t pinpoint what was wrong.
<h2>23andMe’s Report</h2>
During this period of frustration, she thought back on the 23andMe report. The report noted that one of her symptoms, shortness of breath, was included in the list of symptoms associated with AATD. She showed her doctor the report and asked if he could test her for the condition. The test results came back that she did indeed have AATD. After all those years of not knowing, now she understood.
&#8220;Although there is no cure, I now know why I get out of breath and bouts of pneumonia,&#8221; Claudia said.
<h2>Taking Action</h2>
Beyond the respiratory symptoms, AATD can also damage the liver. Claudia learned from her doctor that her liver levels were high. It surprised her, so now her liver function is regularly checked.
She&#8217;s under the care of a liver specialist and a pulmonologist at the University of Washington. They are monitoring her levels. Claudia takes vitamins to keep her immune system up. Doctors also prescribe medication to help prevent infections in her lungs and bronchial tubes. She takes care of herself.
Using resources from the Alpha-1 Foundation, she has identified two AATD specialists, one in Portland. She found another in Sacramento. Claudia is also trying to get her kids and grandkids tested. She wants to help potentially save them from the years of struggling she had to endure.
But for her 23andMe report, she said, &#8220;I would never have discovered this.&#8221;
<hr />
*The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva to report and interpret <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry">genetic health risks</a>. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. The Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) Deficiency genetic health risk report is indicated for reporting the PI*Z and PI*S variants in the SERPINA1 gene and describes if a person has variants associated with AAT deficiency and a higher risk for lung and liver disease. The variants included in this report are most common and best studied in people of European descent.

Help Solving A Personal Medical Mystery

Using insights from <a href="https://you.23andme.com/covid19-study/">23andMe&#8217;s COVID-19 Research Study</a>, our scientists have created a new interactive tool to help people better understand factors that contribute to a higher risk for hospitalizations due to the virus.
The <a href="https://you.23andme.com/covid19/">COVID-19 Severity Calculator</a>* allows people to see how certain non-genetic factors may impact the risk for hospitalization due to the virus. Using only data from 23andMe customers who consented to participate in our COVID-19 Research Study — and no data from outside sources — the tool looks at such things as age, exercise frequency, and health history, which may contribute to the likelihood of hospitalization from contracting the virus.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="536" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/covid-calculator-1200x628-1-1024x536.png" alt="" class="wp-image-28728" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/covid-calculator-1200x628-1-1024x536.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/covid-calculator-1200x628-1-300x157.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/covid-calculator-1200x628-1-768x402.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/covid-calculator-1200x628-1-880x461.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/covid-calculator-1200x628-1-1180x618.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/covid-calculator-1200x628-1.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
 
<h6>More Information</h6>
&#8220;We created the Severity Calculator because people who have visited <a href="https://you.23andme.com/covid19/">23andMe’s COVID-19 Information Center</a> have consistently been asking for more information about the severity of the virus infection and what factors into why it impacts some people harder than others,&#8221; said Janie F. Shelton, Ph.D., MPH, a Senior Scientist at 23andMe who worked on the COVID-19 Research Study.
 “In addition to publishing our COVID-19 study results for the benefit of the greater scientific community, we wanted to look for additional ways in which people could utilize insights gleaned from our research,” Janie said. 

&nbsp;

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="944" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Risk-Calculator-1024x944.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-28731" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Risk-Calculator-1024x944.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Risk-Calculator-300x277.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Risk-Calculator-768x708.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Risk-Calculator-880x812.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Risk-Calculator.jpg 1158w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
 
<h6>Insights into Risk Factors</h6>
That desire to learn more about the virus and its potential impact has only grown in the last few months as cases continue to surge. While the COVID-19 Severity Calculator offers insight into factors that contribute to the risk for hospitalization from the virus among 23andMe research participants, it is not meant to be used as a predictor for a person’s individual risk for severe COVID-19 symptoms. 
And no matter what the result, everyone should absolutely maintain the precautions and protocols implemented by local, state, and federal health officials. It does not predict a person&#8217;s individual risk for hospitalization. It also does not look at all possible factors that can impact the chances of being hospitalized due to COVID-19.

<h6>Research Data</h6>
Our research, and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03065-y">other studies</a>, have shown that genetics does play an important role in the susceptibility to the virus and the severity of the disease. Last fall, our scientists <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.04.20188318v1">published findings</a> from the COVID-19 Research Study that showed associations between both the ABO blood group and genes involved in the immune response and COVID-19 susceptibility or severity. But the study also found that non-genetic factors play a significant role.&nbsp;
The COVID-19 Severity Calculator looks only at those non-genetic factors. The Severity Calculator enables individuals to input some of those non-genetic factors. It then uses statistical modeling to estimate the likelihood of hospitalization. The statistical modeling uses data collected from more than a million people who participated in the 23andMe COVID-19 Research Study. Of those who participated, nearly 10,000 were diagnosed with the virus, and nearly 750 were hospitalized with severe symptoms.&nbsp;
Using the COVID-19 Severity Calculator highlights how certain underlying health conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes significantly increased the risk for hospitalization for COVID-19. For example, our data showed that research participants with the virus who exercised at least once a week were almost 20 percent less likely to be hospitalized than those who did not exercise. In addition, our study found that simply being overweight increased the risk for hospitalization by about 34 percent over those with a normal body mass index among those participating in our study.&nbsp;
The COVID-19 Severity Calculator can illuminate how a few underlying health conditions might factor into hospitalizations due to the virus. However, it does not take into account all factors that might increase the likelihood of hospitalization.&nbsp;
<hr>
*The data powering this tool is from 23andMe consented research participants and does not represent the general U.S. population. There are also biases in the data that could affect the model. For example, individuals who died after being hospitalized for COVID-19 are not included in the data set, leading to an underestimate of hospitalization rates. This tool also does not include all possible factors that can impact the chances of being hospitalized due to COVID-19. This tool does not consider personal genetic information, nor does it predict any individual person&#8217;s chances of being hospitalized if they become infected with the coronavirus. Estimates are not available for people younger than 20 or older than 90, or for specific ancestries other than European, African American, or Hispanic, or Latino because sufficient data is not available. The strength of the associations in this tool may vary by geographic region or date of infection over the course of the pandemic. Two demographic inputs to the statistical model — median income per ZIP code and education level — are held constant at their sample median and mean, respectively.

A logo for 23andMe's COVID-19 Research Study

23andMe’s New COVID-19 Severity Calculator

The biggest changes often start with the smallest of steps, and that is particularly true with your health.
With our new Lifestyle Dashboards, 23andMe wants to help you along that path to wellness. Nudging you to eat a little better each day, or to take a few more steps outside, or reminding you of the importance of a good night&#8217;s sleep. Making these small incremental changes can add up to big improvements to your overall health.
We want to help you but, like with any journey, before you take that first step it helps both to know not just where you are but where you want to go. To do that, customers can connect their mobile devices — like an iPhone or Apple Watch with the <a href="https://www.apple.com/ios/health/">Apple Health Kit</a> or <a href="https://www.google.com/fit/">Google Fit</a> — through our app, or answer survey questions that allows 23andMe to assess their daily habits. 
&nbsp;

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="520" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Frame-1-1024x520.png" alt="" class="wp-image-28725" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Frame-1-1024x520.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Frame-1-300x152.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Frame-1-768x390.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Frame-1-880x447.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Frame-1-1180x600.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Frame-1.png 1220w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
 
<h6>Daily Healthy Habits 
</h6>
Your activity data from your phone and wearable devices, as well as your answers to those questions, allow you to compare how you are doing with other 23andMe customers, who have consented to participate in research. We’ll be able to show you how many of your daily habits, like your daily steps, your exercise routine, your veggie intake, your red meat consumption, your stress levels, compared to the thousands of individuals in our research community. 
The power of social comparison can open your eyes to things you’re doing well, and need to work on more. We even allow our 23andMe+ members to compare based on age, sex, and region.&nbsp; 
<h6>A Virtuous Circle 
</h6>
In addition, for those who opt into 23andMe&#8217;s research, your responses are aggregated with answers from other participants so that our scientists can study what works and doesn&#8217;t work in improving overall health in a sort of virtual cycle of information.
These dashboards are 23andMe&#8217;s first step into helping customers more easily integrate their day-to-day habits and behaviors into their overall 23andMe health experience. The genetic insights we provide can ground us in what lifestyle habits are especially important.
 23andMe wants to help you track and improve your wellness to work together towards a healthier future for you. If you’re a 23andMe Health + Ancestry Service customer in the United States, take a look at the Lifestyle Dashboards, and let’s take this next step to improve our health together.

23andMe’s New Lifestyle Dashboard

In the last two years as interest in consumer DNA testing continues to remain strong, primary care physicians have become increasingly comfortable with discussing these results with their patients, a new study shows.
“This study highlights a significant shift in how primary care physicians view direct-to-consumer genetic health testing,” said L. Okey Onyejekwe Jr., MD, JD, Vice President of Healthcare Operations and Medical Affairs at 23andMe. 
The evolution of views has come as consumer interest in DNA testing remains strong.
“In just two year’s time, the data show primary care physicians are much more accepting, and in some cases wholeheartedly embracing this type of testing, especially tests that include health reports with FDA oversight,&#8221; Dr. Onyejekwe said. &#8220;As more consumers turn to direct-to-consumer genetic testing for health insights into their genome, it’s encouraging to see that primary care physicians are much more open to patients bringing their test results into the clinic for further discussion and potential follow up testing when warranted.” 
&nbsp;

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Infographic-23andMe-Genetic-Testing-11-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-28720" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Infographic-23andMe-Genetic-Testing-11-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Infographic-23andMe-Genetic-Testing-11-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Infographic-23andMe-Genetic-Testing-11-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Infographic-23andMe-Genetic-Testing-11-880x495.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Infographic-23andMe-Genetic-Testing-11-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Infographic-23andMe-Genetic-Testing-11.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
 
<code></code>
<h6>Discussing Results </h6>
According to the study — done by Medscape and in collaboration with 23andMe — primary care physicians’ comfort level in discussing DNA testing results with patients has more than doubled since 2018. 
For this study, researchers surveyed 1,000 primary care physicians to gauge their comfort with genetic testing overall, including assessing attitudes toward direct-to-consumer genetic health testing specifically. The results were then compared to those of a similar survey conducted in 2018. The study found that when compared to two years ago, physicians were twice as likely to be comfortable discussing the benefits, risks, and limitations of genetic health testing, as well as interpreting and discussing results of a genetic test. 
<h6>Making Recommendations</h6>
Beyond that, the report also found that 80 percent of primary care physicians are open or likely to recommend direct-to-consumer genetic testing for health if asked about it by their patients, and for 61 percent of primary care physicians, FDA oversight of health reports was a necessary element of any direct-to-consumer genetic test they might recommend.
“The shift in the primary care community’s point of view on genetic testing over a relatively short period of time is striking, and points to the test’s results having greater utility and impact inpatient care,” said Hansa Bhargava, M.D., Medscape Senior Medical Director. “We are pleased that we could contribute to increasing awareness of the role of genetic testing in the primary care environment.”
<h6>Recommending Next Steps</h6>
When it comes to all testing, not just direct-to-consumer tests, 71 percent of primary care physicians said they are comfortable making appropriate referrals to specialists based on genetic information. In 2018, just 44 percent said they were comfortable making such recommendations. Further, 46 percent of the physicians surveyed said they are comfortable ordering genetic testing, which is more than four times as many as 2018. Finally, 41 percent of those surveyed said they are comfortable using genetic information to make treatment decisions, a two-fold increase over 2018. 
The survey indicates a sea change in how primary care physicians perceive direct-to-consumer genetic testing over the last decade and a half.
<h6>Changes Over Time </h6>
Just four years ago, a study by<a href="https://www.genomes2people.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Van-Der-Wouden-et-al-2016.pdf"> the Impact of Personal Genomics Study Group</a> found that many consumers said their physicians were skeptical of direct-to-consumer genetic testing, about 11 percent. The study found that about 22 percent of patients said their physicians were uninterested in their results, and another 22 percent simply didn’t understand the results or lacked knowledge of genetic testing.
In 2019, researchers at Duke University’s Center for Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine and at 23andMe identified a need for more genetics training for primary care physicians.<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6617198/"> The study</a> went on to show that after completing direct-to-consumer testing themselves, many physicians felt much more confident and comfortable discussing direct-to-consumer testing.
23andMe has dedicated resources to support Healthcare Professionals to assist them in becoming familiar with its reports and direct-to-consumer genetic testing for health.

A photo of a doctor showing a patient information on a digital tablet.

Physicians Increasingly Comfortable Discussing Consumer DNA Testing with Patients

This Thanksgiving will be different than almost any other. With the pandemic still raging, many people are skipping in-person family gatherings. A recent <a href="https://mediacenter.23andme.com/press-releases/pandemic-changes-holiday-plans/">survey</a> commissioned by 23andMe indicates that fewer than half of residents in the U.S. will gather with family this holiday.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25343" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/health_ancestry-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/health_ancestry-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/health_ancestry-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/health_ancestry-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/health_ancestry-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/health_ancestry-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/health_ancestry.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
But whether you celebrate in-person or virtually, you can still take the time to appreciate what you have and to share it in some way with family or friends. You can also take the opportunity of either a virtual or in-person family gathering to do something proactive about your health.
In the United States, November 26th is also <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/famhistory/knowing_not_enough.htm">National Family Health History Day</a>, a time to take stock of you and your family&#8217;s health history. It sounds a bit odd, but a virtual or in-person family gathering is a perfect time to ask questions and discuss family health history. Family health history is information that can be invaluable for you and your family. It&#8217;s information that you can use now and in the future.
<h6>Here&#8217;s How</h6>
Family health history is considered a cornerstone in anyone&#8217;s medical record. Knowing about your parents&#8217; or grandparents’ or siblings&#8217; health adds another dimension to what you already know about yourself. This knowledge raises awareness about conditions that run in your family. It gives you and your doctor another layer of information for helping to keep you well.
The problem is that many of us are don’t have a complete picture of our family&#8217;s health history. That&#8217;s why each year, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) encourages people to use Thanksgiving to ask questions of relatives and record some of your family&#8217;s health history. Hence the creation of the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/famhistory/knowing_not_enough.htm">National Family Health History Day</a>.
<h6>Family Health History Tree<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28546 size-larger" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Family-Health-History-Tree--880x435.jpg" alt="A view of the Family Health History Tree" width="880" height="435" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Family-Health-History-Tree--880x435.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Family-Health-History-Tree--300x148.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Family-Health-History-Tree--1024x506.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Family-Health-History-Tree--768x380.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Family-Health-History-Tree--1180x583.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Family-Health-History-Tree-.jpg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px" /></h6>
The CDC offers <a href="https://phgkb.cdc.gov/FHH/html/index.html">tools</a> to help you and your family record some of this information, but so does 23andMe. Earlier this year, we launched a new <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/family-health-history-tree/">Family Health History Tree</a>. The new tool, available for Health + Ancestry Service customers in the U.S. and Canada, can help you record and track this information.
Much like any family tree, this one offers a visual representation of how you connect to different relatives. But this tree adds the ability to include medical conditions, offering you a visual record of current and past health issues for you and your close relatives. 23andMe&#8217;s Family Health History Tree gives you a place to record information you can use to manage your health.
Check it out <a href="https://you.23andme.com/family/tree/#health">here</a>. Not yet, a customer? Find out more <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry?fhht=v1">here</a>.

Take Some Time With Family for Your Health

The history you share with your family connects you to your past, but it can also ground you in the present, and help prepare you for tomorrow.
This is most clear with your <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">family health history</a>, considered a cornerstone for every medical record. Knowing about your parents’ or siblings&#8217; health adds another dimension to what you already know about yourself. This knowledge raises awareness of what to look out for. It gives you and your doctor another layer of information for helping to keep you well.
The problem is that many of us are entirely unaware of our family&#8217;s health history. Sometimes our knowledge doesn&#8217;t go beyond our parents. Yet knowing whether hypertension or diabetes or certain types of cancer run in your family could be vital for you. So how can you document and keep track of this information?
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-28546 size-large" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Family-Health-History-Tree--1024x506.jpg" alt="A view of the Family Health History Tree" width="1024" height="506" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Family-Health-History-Tree--1024x506.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Family-Health-History-Tree--300x148.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Family-Health-History-Tree--768x380.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Family-Health-History-Tree--880x435.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Family-Health-History-Tree--1180x583.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Family-Health-History-Tree-.jpg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<h6>Family Health History Tree</h6>
23andMe just launched a new tool for Health + Ancestry Service customers in the U.S. and Canada that could help, called the Family Health History Tree.
Much like any family tree, this one offers a visual representation of how you connect to different relatives. But this tree adds the ability to include important medical conditions, offering you a visual record of current and past health issues for you and your close relatives.
The 23andMe Family Health History Tree is meant to include information about close family members. You may consider including your parents, children, grandparents, siblings, half-siblings, aunts, and uncles. These are the relatives with whom you share the most DNA. Beyond sharing DNA, your close family members also often have other things in common that can influence your health. We might live in the same geographic area, eat the same cuisine, and have similar lifestyle choices, like whether we choose to smoke or drink alcohol. These environmental factors, together with genetics, all play a role in your health.
<h6>Knowledge is Power</h6>
That&#8217;s why knowing about health conditions that affected your relatives may help you understand more about your own health. The Family Health History Tree is more than just a record. It is a visual representation of these family connections. Adding in health conditions offers you a better way to track this information to help you and a healthcare professional manage your health.
So what kind of health information should you add to your Family Health History Tree?
We know that remembering the exact medical name of a condition can be difficult. That&#8217;s why we&#8217;ve added a function that will offer suggestions as you start typing a condition name. Adding condition names, dates, and age of diagnosis can be helpful, but we also know that remembering specific dates can also be difficult. That’s OK. Your best guess is fine.
<h6>Be Mindful</h6>
Your family health history is a powerful tool for managing your health, but it may include sensitive information about your living relatives. Before you enter sensitive information about living relatives, you should make sure you have their permission to do so. In addition, please respect a person&#8217;s wishes to maintain the privacy of their sensitive health information when discussing with others. 23andMe does not share individual customer data without their consent. And we never share this data with employers or insurers or third-party marketers.
You can learn more about 23andMe&#8217;s privacy protections <a href="https://www.23andme.com/privacy/">here</a>.
23andMe&#8217;s Family Health History Tree is a tool for you to help you manage your health.

23andMe’s New Family Health History Tree

Today, 23andMe added a new Genetic Health Risk report on APOL1-related chronic kidney disease that has particular relevance for customers with African ancestry.
<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/basics.html">Chronic kidney disease</a> is when the kidneys stop working properly over time. It&#8217;s estimated that at least 40 percent of adults in the U.S. will develop chronic kidney disease during their lifetime [1]. If left untreated, chronic kidney disease can lead to complications, including heart disease or stroke, anemia, bone problems, a weakened immune system, and kidney failure. Because chronic kidney disease often has no symptoms at first, up to 90 percent of people with the condition aren&#8217;t aware they have it [2].
<h2>Two Variants in the Report</h2>
The Chronic Kidney Disease (APOL1-Related) Genetic Health Risk report* includes two variants in the APOL1 gene that can increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease. These two variants — called G1 and G2 — are most common in people of African descent: about 13 percent of African Americans have two APOL1 risk variants, which puts them at increased risk for chronic kidney disease and several types of end-stage kidney disease (also called kidney failure). In addition, kidneys from donors with two APOL1 risk variants tend to survive for a shorter time after transplantation [3].
&#8220;We hope that this report can help guide conversations with a healthcare professional so that customers can work with their doctor to help manage their risk for chronic kidney disease,&#8221; said 23andMe Product Scientist Ruth Tennen.
<h2>Chronic Kidney Disease in African Americans</h2>
In the U.S., African Americans are about three times as likely to develop end-stage kidney disease as Americans of European descent [2], and it&#8217;s thought that the APOL1 G1 and G2 variants account for a large proportion of this excess risk.
Although there is currently no evidence that particular interventions are more or less effective at reducing chronic kidney disease risk in people with two APOL1 risk variants, studies have reported support in the African American community for offering APOL1 testing. In these studies, participants have highlighted that such testing could increase awareness and knowledge about kidney disease, motivate a healthier lifestyle, provide insight into potential risks for family members, and provide opportunities for future research that could help eliminate racial disparities in end-stage kidney disease [4].
<h2>Other Factors Also Influence Risk</h2>
Despite the impact of the APOL1 G1 and G2 variants on chronic kidney disease risk, most cases of chronic kidney disease are not caused by these two variants. In addition to genetics, many other factors can influence the chances of developing chronic kidney disease, including age, family history, and lifestyle factors. Diabetes and high blood pressure are two of the biggest risk factors for chronic kidney disease in adults [5] [6].
The Chronic Kidney Disease (APOL1-Related) Genetic Health Risk report is available to 23andMe Health + Ancestry customers who are genotyped on the V5 version of our chip. Not yet a customer, find out more <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry">here</a>.
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[1] McMahon GM et al. (2017). &#8220;Residual lifetime risk of chronic kidney disease.&#8221; Nephrol Dial Transplant. 32(10):1705-1709. [<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27358274/">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27358274/</a>]
[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. &#8220;Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States, 2019.&#8221;
[3] Freedman BI et al. (2018). &#8220;APOL1-Associated Nephropathy: A Key Contributor to Racial Disparities in CKD.&#8221; Am J Kidney Dis. 72(5 Suppl 1):S8-S16. [<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30343724/">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30343724/</a>]
[4] Umeukeje EM et al. (2019). &#8220;You Are Just Now Telling Us About This? African American Perspectives of Testing for Genetic Susceptibility to Kidney Disease.&#8221; J Am Soc Nephrol. 30(4):526-530. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30858224/">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30858224/</a>]
[5] American Heart Association. &#8220;Kidney Disease and Diabetes.&#8221; [https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/diabetes/why-diabetes-matters/kidney-disease&#8211;diabetes]
[6] American Heart Association. &#8220;How High Blood Pressure Can Lead to Kidney Damage or Failure.&#8221; [<a href="https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/health-threats-from-high-blood-pressure/how-high-blood-pressure-can-lead-to-kidney-damage-or-failure">https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/health-threats-from-high-blood-pressure/how-high-blood-pressure-can-lead-to-kidney-damage-or-failure</a>]
*The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. The Chronic Kidney Disease (APOL1-Related) genetic health risk report (i) is indicated for reporting of the S342G and N388_Y389del variants in the APOL1 gene, which define the G1 and G2 haplotypes, respectively and (ii) describes if a person has variants associated with an increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease. The variants included in this report are the most common and best studied in people of African descent.
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23andMe Offers a New Report on APOL1-Related Chronic Kidney Disease

This week, 23andMe updated its G6PD Deficiency Genetic Health Risk Report.* The update includes testing for an additional variant linked to G6PD  deficiency, a condition that can lead to episodes of anemia.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28317 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/G6PD-Gene-300x185.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="185" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/G6PD-Gene-300x185.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/G6PD-Gene-768x473.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/G6PD-Gene-880x542.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/G6PD-Gene.jpg 887w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
The update makes this report more comprehensive and relevant to more people.
<h2>The G6PD Report</h2>
Two of the most common variants linked to G6PD Deficiency are V68M and S188F. Until today, 23andMe reported on just one of those variants, V68M. That variant is most common in people of African descent. It is also found in people of African ancestry, including Hispanic or Latino descent. Now, 23andMe has added another common variant, S188F, making the report relevant for more people. The S188F variant is most common in people of Southern European, Kurdish, Jewish, Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and South Asian descent.

Together these two variants make 23andMe’s report more comprehensive. The update is also consistent with 23andMe’s mission to ensure people, all people, can access, understand, and benefit from the human genome. This report is another one of our efforts to improve diversity in our reports.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28318 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Updated-G6PD-Def-Report-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Updated-G6PD-Def-Report-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Updated-G6PD-Def-Report-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Updated-G6PD-Def-Report-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Updated-G6PD-Def-Report-880x586.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Updated-G6PD-Def-Report-1180x786.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Updated-G6PD-Def-Report.jpg 1942w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
The effort to update the report was informed, in part, by discussions with the <a href="https://g6pddf.org/">g6pd Deficiency Foundation</a>, which raises awareness of this little-known disease. The foundation encouraged 23andMe to expand the report&#8217;s scope by including this additional variant.
“This is a giant step for screening for G6PD deficiency and the timing is perfect,” said Keely Harris, President, and founder of the g6pd Deficiency Foundation.
<h2>The G6PD Protein</h2>
Harris said the foundation is currently working on a new awareness campaign.
The variants included in the report can reduce the levels or activity of an enzyme called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, or <a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/G6PD">G6PD</a>. This protein helps protect red blood cells from damage. People with G6PD deficiency usually don’t have symptoms unless exposed to certain factors, such as certain medications, infections, or foods (like fava beans).
Specific triggers may vary from person to person, and many people with the condition do not experience symptoms. In a person with G6PD deficiency, a trigger can result in the destruction of red blood cells. If too many red blood cells are destroyed, this can sometimes — though not always — lead to episodes of anemia, which can be characterized by symptoms such as dark urine, fatigue, pale skin, shortness of breath, and more.
<h2>Worldwide Impact</h2>
The National Institutes of Health estimates that about 400 million people worldwide have the condition. It is most common in people from certain parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean.
The G6PD gene is found on the X chromosome. Because it is inherited, males are more likely to have G6PD deficiency than females. About one in ten <a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase-deficiency#statistics">African American males has G6PD deficiency</a>. Because these variants are so common among African Americans, it is not unusual for African American women to also have this condition.
23andMe’s test doesn’t diagnose<a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase-deficiency"> G6PD deficiency</a>. Instead, it detects two common variants linked to G6PD deficiency. 23andMe’s updated G6PD Deficiency Genetic Health Risk report* is one of more than 10 Health Predisposition reports offered to new and existing <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry?mkbanner=true">Health + Ancestry Service</a> customers. These include reports that meet FDA requirements for Genetic Health Risks and reports powered by 23andMe research.
<h2>Note:</h2>
*The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment.  The G6PD genetic health risk report is indicated for reporting of the V68M and S188F variants in the G6PD gene and describes if a person has one or more variants linked to G6PD deficiency and an increased risk for episodes of anemia. The variants included in this report are most studied in people of African, Southern European, Kurdish Jewish, Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and South Asian descent.

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Health + Traits — Page 16