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.” 
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 <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>
 
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<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.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

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>.
<hr />
[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.

A photo of people on the street in New York

Improvements to 23andMe’s G6PD Deficiency Report

<div id="attachment_28228" style="width: 268px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28228" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Mimi.png" alt="" class="wp-image-28228 size-medium" width="258" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Mimi.png 441w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Mimi-258x300.png 258w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 258px) 100vw, 258px" />Mimi in her 20s.</div>
 by Samantha Ancona Esselmann, Ph.D., product scientist at 23andMe
From an early age, I knew my great-grandmother had superpowers. “Mimi,” we called her. 
She was born in the late 1800s, earned a graduate degree from Berkeley in 1919, sipped a glass (or two) of sherry every evening, and charmed us with her wit until the very end. And, like her mother “Nanan” before her, Mimi lived to be over 100.  
During the course of her remarkable life that straddled three different centuries and two millennia, she survived tuberculosis (which killed her father), the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the 1918 Flu, retro-peristalsis (the reversal of intestinal smooth muscle movement), and two C-sections before the discovery of penicillin.
In her late 90s — coincidentally, during the late 1990s — she recovered from a broken hip, sepsis, and flu that would have felled a woman half her age. Well into her hundreds, she still walked every day, required no prescription medications, and ate ice cream every night. 
<h6>I thought she was invincible</h6>
When she died at 103 shortly after a bad fall, it wasn’t an infection that killed her. It was organ failure. Her own body simply turned off the switch. 
I think about Mimi — and her immune system — a lot. Apart from the obvious privilege that comes with being a white, middle-class woman in California, she lived a charmed life. 
And while Mimi’s immune system never faced this coronavirus, I wonder if some people are just born better equipped to fight infection than others? After all, each of us has that family member who “gets sick a lot” and that one relative who is “never sick” (lookin’ at you, Mom). 
We don’t know much yet about what factors can influence our immune systems’ responses to COVID-19. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-00257-5">Research shows</a> there are clear genetic differences in susceptibility to other infectious diseases — with much of that variation found in genes involved in the immune system.<a id="f1" href="#a1">[1]</a> 
 But our environment <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(14)01590-6">likely plays</a> a big role in how well our immune systems function, too.<a id="f2" href="#a2">[2]</a> 
 Good news for me because I probably only inherited around 12.5% of Mimi’s DNA. 
The more I learn about the complexity of the human immune system, the more I realize it may not have been a particularly “strong” immune response that saved Mimi. It might’ve just been the “right” response. After all, an overzealous immune reaction — like anaphylactic shock — can kill a person. 
And an overzealous immune reaction seems to be contributing to COVID-19 <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32192578">deaths</a>. 
<h6>COVID-19 vs. the Immune System </h6>
When a person is infected with SARS-CoV-2 (aka novel coronavirus), the virus invades cells lining the patient’s respiratory tract and hijacks their cellular machinery to make more coronavirus, which goes on to infect more and more cells. 
Next, the body’s immune system starts to take notice. But in some patients, the immune system gets carried away and they become sicker from their body’s own inflammatory response than from the virus itself. 
Widespread inflammation of the lungs — triggered by a wave of inflammatory molecules in your body called cytokines — can lead to a condition called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, or ARDS. In ARDS, the barrier between the blood and the lungs’ delicate air sacs breaks down and the lungs fill with fluid. This breakdown impairs the lungs’ ability to oxygenate the blood and clear carbon dioxide, which can lead to organ failure. 
The drugs being deployed in hospitals to fight COVID-19 are not just experimental antiviral drugs like <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32152082">remdesivir</a>. <a id="f3" href="#a3">[3]</a> 
 Some of them are drugs that dampen the body’s immune response, in the hopes that they will give the patients a chance to take a deep breath (literally and figuratively) and get back to the business of fighting the virus. 
During recent infectious diseases division <a href="https://youtu.be/bt-BzEve46Y?t=2139">grand rounds</a> at UCSF, Dr. Michael Matthay, an ARDS expert and professor at UCSF’s Pulmonary Medicine department, speculated that once a patient has arrived in the ICU and developed ARDS, antiviral therapy may “not be effective.”<a id="f4" href="#a4">[4]</a> 
 Some experts think it may be more effective to intervene with antiviral drugs <a href="https://youtu.be/bt-BzEve46Y">during earlier stages</a> of the disease when symptoms are not yet severe.<a id="f5" href="#a5">[5]</a> 
 Or, perhaps an immune overreaction only affects certain patients, while others with severe symptoms could still benefit from antiviral treatment. 

So what can make some peoples’ immune response to COVID-19 different from others?
<h6>Sex and the Immune System</h6>
We’re beginning to see clear sex differences in the rate of COVID-19 infection and mortality: not only are men more susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV2, but they are also more likely to die from the disease. In a recent European surveillance report from the World Health Organization, about two-thirds of COVID-19 deaths that week were men.<a id="f6" href="#a6">[6]</a> 
 
Some of these differences could be environmental. In many parts of the world, for example, men smoke more than women (which reduces lung health) and men are more likely to have preexisting chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, or high blood pressure. 
But biological sex is known to play a differential role in the immune system. Women are much more susceptible to autoimmune diseases in which their own immune systems turn against them and attack healthy tissue such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and lupus. 
At the same time, women often have a more robust immune response to pathogens like viruses and bacteria — a pattern that may be repeated with SARS-CoV-2. 
Some researchers are <a href="https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-03-21/why-is-the-coronavirus-more-deadly-for-men-than-for-women">speculating</a> that women may have a stronger immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in the early stages of a viral infection than men. <a id="f7" href="#a7">[7]</a> 
 Compared to SARS (the classic kind), COVID-19 viral replication <a href="https://youtu.be/bt-BzEve46Y?t=442">seems to peak earlier and at higher levels</a> during the course of the disease, meaning an early and robust immune response could be the difference between life and death. <a id="f8" href="#a8">[8]</a> 
 
A delayed immune response can be doubly dangerous. After the virus has a chance to wreak havoc in the lungs, an overzealous immune reaction can set off a widespread inflammatory response that causes further damage, accelerating progression to ARDS.
But sex is not the only variable that influences our body’s ability to fight infection.
<h6>Age and the Immune System</h6>
You’ve probably heard by now that mortality from COVID-19 is much higher among older people. <a id="f9" href="#a9">[9]</a> (Though it’s important to note that all age groups are <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/18/u-s-official-says-data-show-severe-coronavirus-infections-among-millennials-not-just-older-americans/">susceptible to severe infection</a> and young people can die from it too.) 
Apart from being more likely to have chronic “comorbid” conditions such as heart disease, type II diabetes, or high blood pressure, older people are more likely to have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29111233">dysregulated immune systems</a>. <a id="f10" href="#a10">[10]</a>
Like a trailer slowly fish-tailing out of control, our immune system’s ability to cope with pathogens decreases as we age, and our inflammatory response <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18240544">increases</a>.<a id="f11" href="#a11">[11]</a>
Fewer precision-guided missiles. More carpet bombs.
While we may never be able to stop or reverse the aging of our immune systems — and genetics likely play a role that’s outside of our control — there are certain <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/well/live/can-i-boost-my-immune-system.html">things we can do</a> to slow it down and keep it in a “goldilocks zone” for as long as possible. <a id="f12" href="#a12">[12]</a>
Exercise. Get enough sleep. Avoid stress (where possible). And eat a healthy diet. 
Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right. 
Like Mimi. 
<hr />
<h6 class="footnotes">References:</h6>
<footer class="footnotes">
<code style="display: none;"> 
</code><code style="display: none;"> 
</code><a id="f1" href="#a1">[1]</a> Tian, C., Hromatka, B.S., Kiefer, A.K. et al. Genome-wide association and HLA region fine-mapping studies identify susceptibility loci for multiple common infections. Nat Commun 8, 599 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-00257-5. <a href=" https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-00257-5#citeas"> https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-00257-5#citeas</a></footer>
<footer class="footnotes">
<code style="display: none;"> 
</code><a id="f2" href="#a2">[2]</a>Broden P et al. (2015). &#8220;Variation in the Human Immune System Is Largely Driven by Non-Heritable Influences.&#8221; Cell. 2015 Jan 15;160(1-2):37-47. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.12.020.<a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(14)01590-6">https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(14)01590-6</a></footer>
<footer class="footnotes">
<code style="display: none;"> 
</code><a id="f3" href="#a3">[3]</a>Martinez MA (2020). &#8220;Compounds with therapeutic potential against novel respiratory 2019 coronavirus&#8221; Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2020 Mar 9. pii: AAC.00399-20. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00399-20. [Epub ahead of print]<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32152082">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32152082</a></footer>
<footer class="footnotes">
<code style="display: none;"> 
</code><a id="f4" href="#a4">[4]</a>Martinez MA (2020). &#8220;Compounds with therapeutic potential against novel respiratory 2019 coronavirus&#8221; Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2020 Mar 9. pii: AAC.00399-20. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00399-20. [Epub ahead of print]<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32152082">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32152082</a></footer>
<footer class="footnotes">
<code style="display: none;"> 
</code><a id="f5" href="#a5">[5]</a> &#8220;UCSF Experts on the Epidemiology, Science, &amp; Clinical Manifestations of COVID-19, and UCSF Response&#8221; YouTube <a href="https://youtu.be/bt-BzEve46Y?t=2139">https://youtu.be/bt-BzEve46Y?t=2139 </a></footer>
<footer class="footnotes">
<code style="display: none;"> 
</code><a id="f6" href="#a6">[6]</a> &#8220;UCSF Experts on the Epidemiology, Science, &amp; Clinical Manifestations of COVID-19, and UCSF Response&#8221; YouTube <a href="https://youtu.be/bt-BzEve46Y?t=2139">https://youtu.be/bt-BzEve46Y?t=2139 </a></footer>
<footer class="footnotes">
<code style="display: none;"> 
</code><a id="f7" href="#a7">[7]</a> &#8220;Weekly surveillance report &#8211; COVID-19 
&#8221; WHO http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-emergencies/coronavirus-covid-19/weekly-surveillance-report</footer>
<footer class="footnotes">
<code style="display: none;"> 
</code><a id="f8" href="#a8">[8]</a> &gt; &#8220;UCSF Experts on the Epidemiology, Science, &amp; Clinical Manifestations of COVID-19, and UCSF Response&#8221; YouTube <a href="https://youtu.be/bt-BzEve46Y?t=2139">https://youtu.be/bt-BzEve46Y?t=2139 </a></footer>
<footer class="footnotes">
<code style="display: none;"> 
</code><a id="f9" href="#a9">[9]</a> &#8220;U.S. official says data show severe coronavirus infections among millennials, not just older Americans&#8221; STAT News 2020 Mar 18<a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/18/u-s-official-says-data-show-severe-coronavirus-infections-among-millennials-not-just-older-americans/">https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/18/u-s-official-says-data-show-severe-coronavirus-infections-among-millennials-not-just-older-americans/</a></footer>
<footer class="footnotes">
<code style="display: none;"> 
</code><a id="f10" href="#a10">[10]</a>Pawelec G (2018). &#8220;Age and immunity: What is &#8220;immunosenescence&#8221; Exp Gerontol. 2018 May;105:4-9. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2017.10.024. Epub 2017 Oct 27. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32152082">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32152082</a></footer>
<footer class="footnotes">
<code style="display: none;"> 
</code><a id="f11" href="#a11">[11]</a> Franceschi C (2007). &#8220;Inflammaging as a major characteristic of old people: can it be prevented or cured?&#8221; Nutr Rev. 2007 Dec;65(12 Pt 2):S173-6. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18240544">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18240544</a></footer>
<footer class="footnotes">
<code style="display: none;"> 
</code><a id="f12" href="#a12">[12]</a> &#8220;Can I Boost My Immune System?&#8221; New York Times 2020 Mar 10]<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/well/live/can-i-boost-my-immune-system.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/well/live/can-i-boost-my-immune-system.html</a></footer>
<footer class="footnotes">
</footer>

COVID-19 and the immune system’s double-edged sword

As we celebrate <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/african-american-scientists/">Black History Month</a>, we want to raise awareness about some of the conditions 23andMe reports on that are more common in people of African descent. 
 
<h6>Sickle Cell Anemia<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-231x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-27924 size-medium" width="231" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-231x300.jpg 231w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-768x996.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-790x1024.jpg 790w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-679x880.jpg 679w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2.jpg 904w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px" /></h6>
About 1 in 13 African Americans have the genetic variant in the HBB gene that causes sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia is characterized by anemia, episodes of pain, and frequent infections. Being a carrier does not mean you have the condition. A person must carry two variants in the HBB gene to develop this condition.
  
<h6>G6PD Deficiency</h6>
About 1 in 10 African American men have<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/g6pd-deficiency/"> G6PD deficiency</a>. People with this condition usually don’t develop symptoms unless they are exposed to certain triggers, including certain food, medications or infections.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-231x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-27925 size-medium" width="231" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-231x300.jpg 231w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-768x996.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-790x1024.jpg 790w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-679x880.jpg 679w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2.jpg 904w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px" /> 
<h6>Hereditary Amyloidosis (TTR-Related)</h6>
It is estimated that about 1 in 28 African Americans carry a variant linked to <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/a-new-23andme-genetic-health-risk-report-brings-to-light-underdiagnosed-condition/">TTR-related hereditary amyloidosis</a>. This little-known genetic condition is caused by the buildup of a protein called<a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/TTR"> transthyretin</a> (TTR). This protein buildup can damage the nerves, the heart, and other parts of the body. Because the symptoms vary widely, the condition is often misdiagnosed.
<h6></h6>
<h6>Beta Thalassemia and Related Hemoglobinopathies</h6>
<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/carrier/beta-thalassemia/">Beta thalassemia</a> is a genetic disorder characterized by anemia and fatigue as well as bone deformities and organ problems. Among those who are most impacted are people of North African descent. 
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/">23andMe Health + Ancestry Service</a> customers can learn more about these conditions by viewing their <a href="https://you.23andme.com/health/">health reports</a>.* <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TTR-fact-452x586_x1-231x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-27926 size-medium" width="231" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TTR-fact-452x586_x1-231x300.jpg 231w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TTR-fact-452x586_x1.jpg 452w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px" />
&nbsp;
African Americans continue to be underrepresented in genetic research, but 23andMe is working to change that with initiatives to improve the diversity in the science we do.  
 
Our mission has always been to help people access, understand and benefit from the human genome. We want to make sure that we&#8217;re doing that for all people. That means broadening the diversity and including populations that are not now well represented. 
&nbsp;
<div style="float: center; text-align: justified; width: 600px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
<h6>Diversity in Research</h6>
 
For more than a decade now, 23andMe scientists have undertaken efforts to improve diversity in our research, particularly among African Americans and people of African descent. Some of those efforts include programs like our<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/announcements/roots-into-the-future/"> Roots Into the Future</a> study, the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/africa-project/">African Genetics Project</a>, and the recently completed <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/african-american-sequencing-project/">African American Sequencing Project</a>. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-150x150.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-27922" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-574x574.jpg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-980x980.jpg 980w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />23andMe now has one of the largest, if not the largest, cohorts in the world of genotyped and phenotyped African Americans who have consented to participate in research. This offers incredible potential to make new findings relevant to people with African ancestry. It has already allowed our scientists to conduct genome-wide association studies specific to people with African ancestry into such things as <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00439-017-1836-1">uterine fibroids</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0307-5">alcohol and tobacco use</a>. 
 
But we want to do more, so beyond the work, we and our collaborators have done, 23andMe is also working to improve research diversity more broadly.
 
Last year, we have made available the de-identified data from 23andMe&#8217;s African American Sequencing Project through the<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/"> National Center for Biotechnology Information’s</a> database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP). Participants in this project were asked for an additional layer of consent beyond 23andMe’s normal research consent process. 
 
We’ve made great strides but we still have a long way to go. Learn more about 23andMe’s research <a href="https://www.23andme.com/research/">here.</a>
</div>
*The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks and reporting carrier status. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. Our carrier status reports can be used to determine carrier status, but cannot determine if you have two copies of any genetic variant. These carrier reports are not intended to tell you anything about your risk for developing a disease in the future, the health of your fetus, or your newborn child&#8217;s risk of developing a particular disease later in life. For certain conditions, we provide a single report that includes information on both carrier status and genetic health risk. For important information and limitations regarding other genetic health risk reports and carrier status reports, [visit  <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/">https://www.23andme.com/test-info/]</a> [click <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/">here</a>].

Raising Awareness

By Amanda McCorquodale
&nbsp;
Raising children often feels like watching my own little science experiment on the effects of nature versus nurture. While all the ingredients in the pantry were the same, it is clear that my daughters were baked with slightly different recipes.
<div id="attachment_27728" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27728" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMGP7629-150x150.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27728" width="300" height="448" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMGP7629-685x1024.jpg 685w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMGP7629-201x300.jpg 201w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMGP7629-768x1147.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMGP7629-589x880.jpg 589w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMGP7629-790x1180.jpg 790w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMGP7629-scaled.jpg 1714w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Amanda&#8217;s twin girls.</div>
One has thick brown hair with brown eyes and the other thin blond hair and blue eyes. One gets intensely high fevers for just 24 hours while sick. The other will be mildly infirm for weeks before clearing a cold. One likes a scalding hot bath. Her sister can only tolerate lukewarm temperatures.

<h6>Getting Started with 23andMe</h6>
Our household presented almost the exact environment and lifestyle for both girls, yet their genes were taking them down different, often opposite, paths. While I conjectured who received which grandparent’s sweet tooth or hot temper, I became intrigued by a genetic test like 23andMe that could track some of these genetic traits. In reality, we are all so genetically similar— we are each about 99.5 percent identical — yet that very tiny difference is enough to make us each unique, even within my own family.
But trying out 23andMe was about more than just curiosity, I wanted to learn about my health too. Having just turned 40, I was curious to know more about what exactly was printed on my own recipe card, and how much of that I may have passed on to my daughters. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Whats-in-the-Kit-300x195.png" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-25528 size-medium" width="300" height="195" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Whats-in-the-Kit-300x195.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Whats-in-the-Kit-768x500.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Whats-in-the-Kit-1024x667.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Whats-in-the-Kit-880x573.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Whats-in-the-Kit-1180x768.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Whats-in-the-Kit.png 1822w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<h6>Registration, Considerations, and Consent</h6>
The small box containing 23andMe’s collection kit came quickly in the mail. After taking it out of the plastic wrap and sliding off the cardboard sleeve, the first step was to register the kit online to link my account to the actual barcode on the test tube inside.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Once I verified my email address, the web site ran through a list of choices I would be able to opt-in and out of, such as:&nbsp;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/register_online-300x300.png" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-25131 size-medium" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/register_online-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/register_online-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/register_online-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/register_online-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/register_online-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/register_online.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Whether to have my saliva sample stored or discarded after it has been analyzed</li>
<li>Which of the health reports — on conditions like Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease or Parkinson’s disease — I will view and/or opt-in to view</li>
<li>When and with which of my 23andMe DNA Relatives I share my information&nbsp;</li>
<li>To give or decline consent for 23andMe Research (more on this below)</li>
<li>Although not part of the registration process, it’s clear that if I change my mind about using 23andMe, I have the option of deleting my 23andMe account and my data at any time&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h6> 
</h6>
<h6>Privacy and Consent</h6>
The registration site then presented me with a list of protections. 23andMe also provides additional information on its website about how my data would be kept private; these details are further covered in their Privacy Statement and Terms of Service.
There’s also a helpful link on all many of these steps for registering your kit. For example, I was assured 23andMe will never share my data with any public databases, insurance companies, employers, or law enforcement or regulatory authorities unless required by law. 23andMe also asserts that they have a Church and State-type separation in how information is handled. In other words, personally identifying information is stored separately from genetic data.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Privacy-275x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-23677 size-medium" width="275" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Privacy-275x300.jpg 275w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Privacy.jpg 636w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px" />
&nbsp;
As the registration proceeded, 23andMe also prompted me to take a moment and consider all the possible implications of DNA testing. Essentially, you might find out something unexpected. &nbsp; For instance, I might learn that someone I thought was related to me isn’t actually a biological relative, or I might find out something else — a health risk for instance — that causes me anxiety. Anyone considering doing a DNA test will likely have thought about these possibilities at some point, but it was worth giving these implications more thought before sending my sample off.
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<h6>Participating in Research</h6>
Going back to the question about research consent, I was then asked if I want to participate in 23andMe’s research programs. While a DNA test is largely about uncovering more about oneself, it was interesting to think about how that information could also advance research.&nbsp; 23andMe explains what consenting to participate in research means. There is also a detailed explanation about the meaning of “individual data sharing.” There even is a heads up that if I decide to participate in research, I might be recontacted about specific research projects.&nbsp;&nbsp;
As I finished the process, 23andMe reviews which programs I have consented and gives me opportunities to contact a 23andMe representative to ask more questions. If later on, I change my mind about participating in research, I can remove my consent without changing my access to my results. In the end, the registration process, including considering the choices and consequences of those choices, took me about 15 minutes.&nbsp;
<h6>What the Sample Process was Like&nbsp;</h6>
<div id="attachment_27729" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27729" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_7626-e1574291806161-225x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27729 size-medium" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_7626-e1574291806161-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_7626-e1574291806161-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_7626-e1574291806161-660x880.jpg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_7626-e1574291806161-885x1180.jpg 885w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_7626-e1574291806161-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />Just a little spit.</div>
Giving your sample is pretty straight forward, but as it turns out there’s actually an art to spitting into a tube. 23andMe’s kit consists of a test tube topped with a larger mouth funnel for ease of spitting, but a half teaspoon of saliva doesn’t seem like a lot until you actually sit down and do the deed.&nbsp;
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23andMe offers up some helpful suggestions and warns that you shouldn’t have eaten or drunk anything within a half-hour of giving your sample.&nbsp; If a case of sudden dry mouth occurs (as it did for me), 23andMe has a list of suggestions to get the saliva flowing again. (I found it particularly helpful to imagine the taste and smell of tart foods like lemons.)
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In the end, it took me about 20 minutes to generate the required sample. Once collected, I snapped the top of the funnel closed, which released a stabilizing liquid into the tube. I then unscrewed the funnel top and replaced it with the provided blue cap before placing the tube in the provided specimen bag. After packaging the kit with the provided mailing label, I placed the box in the mail.
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A few days later I received an email confirming that my sample arrived at the lab. This began the toughest part of the process, waiting on my results.
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Stay tuned for Part II to learn what it was like to get a peek into my own DNA and get my <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/">Ancestry + Health Service</a> reports.
Amanda McCorquodale is a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in Gourmet, Miami Magazine and Mental Floss. She previously worked as an associate editor at the Huffington Post and as an Arts and Culture Editor at the Miami New Times. She lives in New York with her family.
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Amanda McCorquodale

Taking the Leap Into My DNA: Part I

Your Thanksgiving preferences have a lot to do with your own family traditions, but genetics may also play a role. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Turkey.001-e1575006841874-225x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-27745 size-medium" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Turkey.001-e1575006841874-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Turkey.001-e1575006841874-660x880.jpg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Turkey.001-e1575006841874.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />
This Thanksgiving, along with taking the time to give thanks for our friends, family and all that we have, 23andMe is celebrating what our DNA can tell us about ourselves
<h6>Thanksgiving Preferences</h6>
Customers can even peruse <a href="https://you.23andme.com/health/thanksgiving2019_bundle/"> “A Very 23andMe Thanksgiving”</a> page to learn a little bit about what genetics says about their own specific traits during this holiday season. There, they can learn about their Bitter Taste preference or Alcohol Flush response. 
They can even find out about whether they are genetically predisposed to hate the sounds of others chewing. (Yeah, it’s a thing, and it’s called<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/traits/misophonia/"> misophonia</a>.) 
And to add a dash more of insight we’ve also done a quick look at genetic food preference data from our customers who have consented to participate in research. What we found is kind of interesting. So before you tuck into your Thanksgiving meal, take a minute to look at some of what we’ve learned.
<h6> Different Preferences between Men and Women </h6>
Looking at the data we found that men and women were likely to have some distinct food preferences based on their genetics. And about a quarter of our women customers were predicted to prefer sweet treats to salty ones. 
It was much different for men with just over two percent of our male customers likely to reach for sweets over salty treats.  
We also found a distinct difference in predicted food preferences based on the ages of our customers, or at least when we looked at customers in their 20s versus customers in their 60s. What we learned is that about 20 percent of customers in their 60s were likely to prefer sweets, versus just under 10 percent of people in their 20s.
<h6>So what does all this mean? </h6>
Traits, like a lot of conditions, are not just determined by our genes. It is actually a complex mix of culture, lifestyle, environment, and genetics that influence what we like to eat and what we turn our noses up to. 
So when 23andMe reports on your Bitter Taste preference, we are reporting on the likelihood that you can detect certain bitter compounds, and thus whether you are more or less likely to think Brussels sprouts or broccoli are bitter. The science behind that has to do with a gene, TAS2R38, which affects your taste receptors. But that doesn’t mean you will necessarily like them.
If you want to learn a little bit more about what your own genetics can tell you about your food preferences, login and check out<a href="https://you.23andme.com/health/thanksgiving2019_bundle/"> “A Very 23andMe Thanksgiving.”</a>
<h6>Not yet a customer? </h6>
Find out more about all that 23andMe has to offer<a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/?vip=true"> here</a>, and don’t miss our great Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal happening now through December 2, for up to 50% off a 23andMe kit. 
 
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Health + Traits — Page 16