23andMe: Knowledge is Power
/In 2008, Time magazine called 23andme the invention of the year!
In 2008, 
Call me a skeptic. I would have been that prior to the results I received in the mail from 23andme. You see several weeks prior to my results, I received this ambiguous kit in the mail where I had to submit a copious amount of saliva in a cup provided and return back to 23andme. Needless to say, I was ready for my results.
Not only do you obtain insight into your own ancestral history but also medical history. Given the recent decision by many women to have a mastectomy after finding out they are testing positive for one of the breast cancer genes, I wanted to see if I had any increased risks compared to others.
The information received was and is (still combing through all the material) overwhelming. I found out there is a particular enzyme I am deficient in that could pose a problem with a certain class of medications. I am a fast metabolizer of caffeine!
An example of some of the medical conditions seen (compared risk to average):
| Name | Confidence | Your Risk | Avg. Risk | Compared to Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coronary Heart Disease |
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29.3% | 24.4% | 1.20x | |
| Age-related Macular Degeneration |
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22.2% | 7.0% | 3.16x | |
| Atrial Fibrillation |
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20.5% | 15.9% | 1.29x | |
| Venous Thromboembolism |
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14.3% | 9.7% | 1.47x | |
| Restless Legs Syndrome |
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5.2% | 4.2% | 1.24x | |
| Ulcerative Colitis |
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0.66% | 0.51% | 1.30x | |
| Celiac Disease |
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0.42% | 0.24% | 1.77x | |
Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) |
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0.31% | 0.25% | 1.26x | |
| Bipolar Disorder |
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0.20% | 0.14% | 1.44x | |
| Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) |
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0.09% | 0.07% | 1.21x | |
| Stomach Cancer (Gastric Cardia Adenocarcinoma) |
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0.08% | 0.07% | 1.22x | |
| Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm |
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| Alcohol Dependence |
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| Alopecia Areata |
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| Dupuytren's Disease |
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| Hay Fever (Allergic Rhinitis) |
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| Hodgkin Lymphoma |
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| High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) |
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Hypothyroidism |
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| Keloid |
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Narcolepsy |
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| Primary Biliary Cirrhosis: Preliminary Research |
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| Progressive Supranuclear Palsy |
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| Restless Legs Syndrome: Preliminary Research |
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| Sarcoidosis |
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| Sarcoma |
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| Stomach Cancer: Preliminary Research |
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| Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate |
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| Hypertriglyceridemia |
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| Tourette's Syndrome | |||||
Very insightful! And there are many more diseases covered.
You can also connect with others who share DNA and are possible relatives. So far I see that I am matched with several 3rd-5th cousins.
There are a few videos you can investigate to obtain more information about this valuable service:
- Muhammad Ali & 23andMe Parkinson's research video
- 23andMe inspirational stories by customers
- Khan Academy & 23andMe - Where do genes come from?
- Khan Academy & 23andMe - What are genes?
23andMe provides over 240 health reports
With over a quarter million members, 23andMe is the largest DNA-based ancestry service worldwide.
When 23andMe was founded, the price of the personal genetic service was $1,000 and over time they have been able to reduce it to $99, making it a widely available information tool
I cannot wait to see where these results take me. I have already been in touch with some potential relatives. I will update as to what knowledge is gained.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.