<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-18592 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Acne-Treatments.jpg" alt="" width="707" height="459" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Acne-Treatments.jpg 707w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Acne-Treatments-300x195.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 707px) 100vw, 707px" />For the live-updated, fully-labelled, interactive version of this graphic, <a href="http://curetogether.com/acne/ig/treatment-effectiveness-vs-popularity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
By Alexandra Carmichael, Co-Founder of CureTogether
Some of the most effective treatments for acne are not necessarily drugs, according to a new study by <a href="http://curetogether.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CureTogether</a>, a free resource owned by 23andMe that allows people to share information about their health and treatments.
People in the study said they found that lifestyle changes like a paleo diet, reducing sugar, and getting plenty of sunshine were among the most effective in treating acne. In addition, those who participated in the study said that more conventional medical treatments such as Accutane, which ranked at the top of the list, helped a great deal. Conversely some common treatments such as Clearasil, hydrogen peroxide, and soap, were among the least effective, according to the study.
Acne affects millions of Americans and can be embarrassing to experience. Finding accurate recommendations on treatments that work well can be challenging, so CureTogether asked people suffering from acne to rate the effectiveness of different treatments. The study compiled responses from 4,375 people with acne, who rated the effectiveness of 72 different treatments.
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 200px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
Most Effective Rated Treatments for People with Acne 
1. Accutane 
2. Paleo diet 
3. No gluten 
4. Bactrim 
5. Sunshine 
6. 10% Benzoyl Peroxide cream 
7. No sugar 
8. Avoid touching face 
9. No dairy 
10. Birth control pill
</div>
Where did this data come from? This is the result of a four-year CureTogether study on <a href="http://curetogether.com/acne/symptoms/">Acne</a>, in which people living with the condition shared information about their symptoms and what treatments worked best for them. We’d like to thank those who participated. And just as they shared their experience with treatments, we’re freely and openly sharing the results of the acne study.
This is part of a regular series of CureTogether <a href="http://curetogether.com/blog/category/research-findings/">research findings</a>. CureTogether’s research findings are different than <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/factoids/">those made by 23andMe</a>, which look at genetic associations with illness, traits and drug response. But as we continue our work with the CureTogether community, 23andMe hopes to incorporate more of this kind of self-reported information into our own research. CureTogether present its findings just as they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.
Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in acne. Thank you!

Alexandra Carmichael

What Patients Say Works Best for Acne

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-18384" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Vulvodynia-Graphic.jpg" alt="Vulvodynia Graphic" width="704" height="457" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Vulvodynia-Graphic.jpg 704w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Vulvodynia-Graphic-300x195.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px" />For the live-updated, fully-labelled, interactive version of this graphic, <a href="http://curetogether.com/vulvodynia/ig/treatment-effectiveness-vs-popularity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
By Alexandra Carmichael, Co-Founder of CureTogether
Nearly two years ago, CureTogether released a <a href="http://curetogether.com/blog/2011/07/26/9-most-effective-vulvodynia-treatments/">list of the top patient-rated treatments for vulvodynia</a>, a common form of female reproductive pain that makes regular activities like wearing jeans or having sex extremely painful.
A staggering 20 percent of women will experience vulvodynia at some point in their lives, so we at <a href="http://curetogether.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CureTogether</a> decided it would be helpful to repeat the analysis and release an updated list of treatments rated by women living with the condition.
People in the study said they found that non-drug interventions like physical therapy, ice and wearing loose-fitting clothes were effective treatments. Conversely, those in the study said some treatments like NuvaRing, Replens, Capsaicin cream, and Lanacane actually made the condition worse.
These are all treatments suggested and reported by patients, so some redundancy in the terms used is to be expected. In addition, the term “treatment” in this study refers to anything patients describe using to help them feel better whether it is an officially prescribed medical treatment or not. 

<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 200px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
Most Effective Rated Treatments for Women with Vulvodynia 
1. Wear loose-fitting clothes 
2. Ice 
3. No underwear 
4. Physical therapy 
5. Avoid sex 
6. Rinse with water after urination 
7. Trigger point therapy 
8. Mysofascial release 
9. Avoid bicycling 
10. Osteopathic manipulation
</div>
<a href="http://curetogether.com/vulvodynia/symptoms/">Vulvodynia</a>  is a very common kind of female pain, but it is rarely talked about because many women are embarrassed by it. CureTogether is a free resource owned by 23andMe, and it allows people to share information about their health and treatments. In turn they can learn from others dealing with the same conditions.
CureTogether’s study compiled responses   over four years from 1,969 people with vulvodynia, who rated the effectiveness of 120 different treatments. We’d like to thank those who participated. And just as they shared their experience with treatments, we’re freely and openly sharing the results of the vulvodynia study. We hope this will help raise awareness and let people feel like they’re not alone.
This is part of a regular series of CureTogether <a href="http://curetogether.com/blog/category/research-findings/">research findings</a>. CureTogether’s research findings are different than <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/factoids/">those made by 23andMe</a>, which look at genetic associations with illness, traits and drug response. But as we continue our work with the CureTogether community, 23andMe hopes to incorporate more of this kind of self-reported information into our own research. CureTogether present its findings just as they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.
Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in vulvodynia. Thank you!

What Patients Say Works for Vulvodynia

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-18173 size-full" title="Anxiety Treatments" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Anxiety-Treatments.jpg" alt="" width="1632" height="1071" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Anxiety-Treatments.jpg 1632w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Anxiety-Treatments-300x197.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Anxiety-Treatments-768x504.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Anxiety-Treatments-1024x672.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Anxiety-Treatments-880x578.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Anxiety-Treatments-1180x774.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1632px) 100vw, 1632px" /> For the live-updated, fully-labelled, interactive version of this graphic, <a href="http://curetogether.com/anxiety/ig/treatment-effectiveness-vs-popularity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">click here</a>.
By Alexandra Carmichael, Co-Founder of CureTogether
Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 18 percent of the U.S. population. According to a new study by CureTogether, the most effective treatments for anxiety reported by patients themselves  include exercise, yoga and and being with animals.  CureTogether is a free resource owned by 23andMe that allows people to share information about their health and treatments.
People in the study said they found that lifestyle changes like exercising, spending time outdoors, and inspiring music were effective treatments, as were the drugs Xanax and Ativan. Conversely those in the study said some drugs like Amitriptyline, Paxil, and Wellbutrin were among the least effective. These are all treatments suggested and reported by patients, so some redundancy in the terms used is to be expected. In addition, the term “treatment” in this study refers to anything patients describe using to help them feel better whether it is an officially prescribed medical treatment or not.

<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 200px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
Most Effective Rated Treatments for People with Anxiety 
1. Exercise 
2. Yoga 
3. Xanax 
4. Spend time with animals 
5. Spend time outdoors 
6. Cognitive Behavior Therapy 
7. Meditation 
8. Ativan 
9. Clonazepam 
10. Inspiring music
</div>
Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only about one-third of those suffering receive treatment, according to Anxiety and Depression Disorders of America. In addition, anxiety disorders cost the U.S. more than $42 billion a year, so CureTogether asked people suffering from anxiety to rate the effectiveness of different treatments in an effort to help raise awareness. CureTogether’s study compiled responses from 10,980 people with anxiety, who rated the effectiveness of 95 different treatments.
Where did this data come from? This is the result of a four-year CureTogether study on <a href="http://curetogether.com/anxiety/symptoms/">Anxiety</a>, in which people living with the condition shared information about their symptoms and what treatments worked best for them. We’d like to thank those who participated. And just as they shared their experience with treatments, we’re freely and openly sharing the results of the anxiety study.
This is part of a regular series of CureTogether <a href="http://curetogether.com/blog/category/research-findings/">research findings</a>. CureTogether’s research findings are different than <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/factoids/">those made by 23andMe</a>, which look at genetic associations with illness, traits and drug response. But as we continue our work with the CureTogether community, 23andMe hopes to incorporate more of this kind of self-reported information into our own research. CureTogether present its findings just as they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.
 Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in anxiety. Thank you!

What Patients Say Works for Anxiety

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-18005" title="bipolarimage" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/bipolarimage.jpg" alt="" width="766" height="459" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/bipolarimage.jpg 766w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/bipolarimage-300x180.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 766px) 100vw, 766px" />For the live-updated, fully-labelled, interactive version of this infographic, <a href="http://curetogether.com/bipolar-disorder/ig/treatment-effectiveness-vs-popularity">click here</a>.
By Alexandra Carmichael, Co-Founder of CureTogether
Some of the most effective treatments for bipolar disorder reported by patients are not drugs, according to a new study by CureTogether, a free resource owned by 23andMe that allows people to share information about their health and treatments.
People in the study said they found that lifestyle changes like exercising, reducing alcohol intake, and having a defined sleep schedule were the most effective. The exception, according to those surveyed, was the drug Lamictal. Conversely some popular treatments such as Prozac, Wellbutrin, and anti-depressants in general, were among the least effective, according to the study. These are all treatments suggested and reported by patients, so some redundancy in the terms used is to be expected. In addition, the term “treatment” in this study refers to anything patients describe using to help them feel better whether it is an offically prescribed medical treatment or not.
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 200px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
Most Effective Rated Treatments for People with Bipolar Disorder
1. Regimented sleep 
2. Reduce alcohol 
3. Exercise 
4. Lamictal 
5. Sunlight 
6. Yoga 
7. Psychotherapy 
8. Mindfulness meditation 
9. Small, frequent snacks 
10. Self-tracking
</div>
More than five million Americans are affected by bipolar disorder every year, and two-thirds of people with this disorder have at least one close relative with the illness or with major depression – evidence that the disease has a heritable component. Finding treatments that work well can be a challenge, so CureTogether asked people suffering from Bipolar Disorder to rate the effectiveness of different treatments.
CureTogether’s study compiled responses from 301 people with Bipolar Disorder, who rated the effectiveness of 45 different treatments. Among the most helpful treatments were yoga, mindfulness meditation, sunlight, and the drug Lamictal. Also highly effective for those in the study were journaling and self-tracking. The people in the study also said that Celexa, Abilify, and Risperdal – all prescription drugs –  were not as effective, and were reported to actually make the condition worse.
Where did this data come from? This is the result of a four-year CureTogether study on <a href="http://curetogether.com/bipolar-disorder/symptoms/">Bipolar Disorder</a>, in which people living with the condition shared information about their symptoms and what treatments worked best for them. We’d like to thank those who participated. And just as they shared their experience with treatments, we’re freely and openly sharing the results of the Bipolar study.
This is part of a regular series of CureTogether <a href="http://curetogether.com/blog/category/research-findings/">research findings</a>. CureTogether’s research findings are different than <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/factoids/">those made by 23andMe</a>, which look at genetic associations with illness, traits and drug response. But as we continue our work with the CureTogether community, 23andMe hopes to incorporate more of this kind of self-reported information into our own research. CureTogether present its findings just as they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.
Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in Bipolar Disorder. Thank you!

What Patients Say Works for Bipolar Disorder

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-17799 size-full" title="CureTogether PTSD Graphic" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/CureTogether-PTSD-Graphic.jpg" alt="" width="739" height="463" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/CureTogether-PTSD-Graphic.jpg 739w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/CureTogether-PTSD-Graphic-300x188.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 739px) 100vw, 739px" />For the interactive version <a href="http://curetogether.com/ptsd/ig/treatment-effectiveness-vs-popularity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
By Alexandra Carmichael, Co-Founder of CureTogether
Some of the most popular treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are not necessarily the most effective, according to a new study by <a href="http://curetogether.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CureTogether</a>, a free resource owned by 23andMe that allows people to share information about their health and treatments.
People in the study said they found some treatments without drugs – including art therapy and exercise – were the most effective. Conversely some popular treatments such as the use of antidepressants, were among the least effective, according to the study.
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that is often associated with combat veterans, but the disorder can occur in anyone who has experienced or seen a traumatic event. Finding the right treatment can be particularly difficult, so CureTogether asked people suffering from PTSD to rate the effectiveness of different treatments.
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 200px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;"> Rated Most Effective by People with PTSD 
1. Cognitive Behavior Therapy 
2. Avoid certain places 
3. Avoid certain noises 
4. Art therapy 
5. Exercise 
6. Use clear shower curtain 
7. Psychotherapy 
8. Medical marijuana 
9. Anti-anxiety medication 
10. Daily routine</div>
CureTogether’s study compiled responses from 531 people with PTSD, who rated the effectiveness of 31 different treatments.
Among the most helpful treatments were Cognitive Behavior Therapy, avoiding places and noises that trigger symptoms, art therapy, and exercise. Also highly effective for those in the study were having a daily routine and participating in support groups. Also on the list was the use of a clear shower curtain, which addresses the fear some have of hidden threats. In contrast people in the study said anti-depressants and Exposure Therapy were not as effective.
Where did this data come from? This is the result of a four-year CureTogether study on <a href="http://curetogether.com/ptsd/symptoms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder</a>. We’d like to thank those who participated. And just as they shared their experience with PTSD treatments, we’re freely and openly sharing the results of the PTSD study.
This is part of a regular series of CureTogether <a href="http://curetogether.com/blog/category/research-findings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research findings</a>. CureTogether’s research findings are different than <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/factoids/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">those made by 23andMe</a>, which look at genetic associations with illness, traits and drug response. But as we continue our work with the CureTogether community, 23andMe hopes to incorporate more of this kind of self-reported information into our own research. CureTogether present its findings just as they are — patient-reported data — to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.
Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in PTSD. Thank you!
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 200px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;"></div>

What Works for PTSD

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-15308" title="HighlightedGraph" alt="" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/HighlightedGraph-300x298.jpg" width="300" height="298" />Click on the image above for the interactive visualization.
Some things just go together – peanut butter and jelly, cheese and crackers, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tango_%26_Cash" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tango and Cash</a>. Other things not so much, or, at least, not until you dig into the connections a little deeper.
In health, the connection between two or more <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/">health conditions</a> is often intuitive. If you grind your teeth, it stands to reason that you would have pain symptoms around the jaw. It makes sense that a person who has eczema might also have other skin conditions like dandruff or psoriasis.
But the connection between other health conditions isn’t always so obvious. Digging into those connections, finding out if they are real, and, if they are real, why they might be related, can tell us a lot of about disease.
With that in mind, we’ve created a visualization of several dozen self-reported health conditions from more than 38,000 members of CureTogether, which<a href="../news/curetogether-with-23andme/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> 23andMe acquired in early July</a>. CureTogether is a free resource for people to share information about diseases and treatments. This kind of data can be helpful to both members interested in comparing their own health issues with others, and researchers looking for a deeper understanding of illnesses.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-15307" title="smallHighlightedGraphic" alt="" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/smallHighlightedGraphic.jpg" width="281" height="185" />
“(It) can give insights into the underlying biology of the conditions,” said Emily Chang, a scientist on 23andMe’s Science Content and Curation Team. “Perhaps there are genetic factors or environmental factors that predispose a person to both conditions.”
One condition might be a symptom of the other, but whatever the connection, exploring why two or more conditions might be related is essential.
“Accurate knowledge of a condition&#8217;s symptoms can aid biological understanding and improve diagnosis,” Emily said.
Daniel Reda, CureTogether’s co-founder and now a 23andMe Senior Product Manager worked with Emily to create the visualization. The two compiled more than 4.4 million points of data to show conditions and symptoms that have a statistically strong connection to each other.
“As we accumulate more data, we can replicate this type of analysis and this should help reveal which of the associations may be spurious and which are probably real,” said Daniel.
What Daniel and Emily have created is a sort of Wheel of Conditions. It shows connections between different conditions, diseases, and symptoms. Selecting a condition will highlight other conditions that are most likely to occur in common.
What you’ll see very quickly is that some of the connections, as we’ve said, just go together. Others, at first blush, may make you scratch your head, but digging a little may help explain the connection.
For example, why would anemia have a connection with infertility?
“(It) makes intuitive sense to me from an evolutionary perspective,” said Daniel. “The body would want to avoid the huge energy investment of pregnancy if the blood has potentially insufficient oxygen-carrying capacity. In ancestral times, vitamin deficiency from food scarcity would have caused anemia, so it would make sense for the body to be able to turn off its reproductive potential until conditions improved.”
The wheel also shows some conditions, fibromyalgia, for instance, are hubs for many others.
<div style="width: 250px; background-color: #fff; border: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 15px; float: right; padding: 10px;">
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-12163" title="small_23andMe_logo" alt="" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/JRBgdIBXKIeVIdETJrxYIw_ttam_logo.jpg" width="24" height="40" />
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</div>
Emily suggests that in some cases a condition may have a broad range of symptoms – pain, depression or fatigue – accounting for multiple connections.
“A large number of causes, the large number of symptoms and the difficulty in accurately diagnosing the conditions probably all contribute to many connections between these conditions and others on the chart,” she said.
What’s exciting is that this is just a first step. Integrating 23andMe’s genotypic and phenotypic data may be able to reveal a deeper understanding of the causes of these conditions.
“Hopefully, (it will) lead to more insights,” Emily said. “With a larger database we will be able to be more accurate making connections and also will be able to make more connections. Genotypic information can add still more.”
Combining genetic and phenotype data from these two large data promises to bring new understanding to disease.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Crowdsourcing Health Conditions

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-15" title="logopng" alt="" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/logopng.png" width="126" height="88">
23andMe is passionate about making discoveries that will benefit you.
We give individuals access to their DNA data while in turn translating information they’ve volunteered into meaningful genetic discoveries.
Today we’re announcing the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/press/curetogether/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">acquisition of CureTogether, Inc. 
</a>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-14282" title="CT-logo" alt="" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/CT-logo-e1341895847805.jpg" width="150" height="37">
a company that we’ve admired for creating communities of people who can share information about their health conditions, support each other and together discover new insights in managing their health.
The acquisition – as well as the addition to our team of its two co-founders, Daniel Reda and Alexandra Carmichael &nbsp;– will improve our own ability to gather data for research and give customers more tools to explore and participate in online communities.
CureTogether’s core mission of enabling people to share their health information as a way to collectively gain new insight into various diseases is aligned with 23andMe’s own crowd-sourced research model. CureTogether, with more than 25,000 members, has gathered nearly four million data points on 576 different medical conditions. Welcoming in those users and the data they’ve contributed to research will improve the important work we are already doing.
At 23andMe, we’ve learned that the quality of our research communities – how engaged and active they are – is vital for quality research. 
Our research model has already made <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/press/sgk1/">significant breakthroughs</a> in the study of Parkinson’s disease, and we are heartened by the progress we’re making in<a href="https://www.23andme.com/sarcoma/"> Sarcoma</a> and in <a href="https://www.23andme.com/mpn/">Myeloproliferative Neoplasms.</a>
23andMe puts power in the hands of patients to participate in research and accelerate new discoveries. The more people who participate, and the more engaged they are, the more powerful the research.
In this, the CureTogether community is a model for our own 23andMe research community. We’re all trying to find cures. Together, we can make even more of a difference.

CureTogether — Page 2