
One 23andMe tests your saliva, there is quite a bit you can
do with that data on the Web site. You can learn about your ancestry and find
relatives among the subscribers. So far, the closest relative I’ve been able to
find are fourth cousins. I have no idea who they are or if it is correct. 23andMe
has made some real contributions to science by polling its members and
comparing their answers to their genetics. As someone who loves data, I have
found the information fascinating.
The most interesting data is related to diseases and what my
SNPs say about my susceptibility to them. Over the years, 23andMe has added more and
more diseases to its databases. They put
things in terms of what a particular SNP indicates about you versus the general
population. They also indicate the confidence in the underlying science on which
the data is based.
For example, my risk of prostate cancer is only 6.8% vs.
17.8% for the general population of European descent. My genetics also
indication good news regarding my susceptibility to melanoma, colorectal
cancer, Type 1 diabetes, and celiac disease.
Of course, not all of the news is good. My risk of Psoriasis
is 22.4% vs. 11.4%; gallstones, 11.1% vs. 7.0%; and Rheumatoid Arthritis, 5.0%
vs. 2.4%. I have to say that none of those worry me. Of greater concern is my
risk for Venous Thromboembolism is 41.8% vs. 12.3%. That is obviously a
significant risk. That data is useful as I now know to make a real point of doing
things like getting up and walking around on longer airplane flights. It also
played at least some role in my conversion to using a standing desk at work. Of
course, proper diet and exercise are in order as well.
There is a piece of data, however, that is very scary to
me even though the risk is lower. This data comes from fairly recent research. It indicates that my Alzheimer’s risk is 14.2% vs. 7.2% for the general population. The
very specific wording is:
14.2
out of 100 men of European ethnicity who share Bill Catchings' genotype will
develop Alzheimer's Disease between the ages of 50 and 79.
Bill
Catchings has one copy of the APOE ε4 variant. APOE ε4 is not the only factor
contributing to Alzheimer's disease. Although it is associated with increased
risk of Alzheimer's, many people with the APOE ε4 variant never develop it.
The
heritability
of AD is estimated to be 60-80%. This means that genetic factors contribute
more to individual differences in risk for AD than environmental
factors do. Genetic contributions to AD risk include known factors, such as
the APOE gene
variants we describe in this report. There are also rare mutations in other
genes that cause early-onset (before age 65) forms of AD that run in families;
this report does not currently include information on these mutations, or for
additional genetic factors that have relatively weaker effects on AD risk.
Non-genetic risk factors for AD include high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
obesity, poorly controlled diabetes, and history of head trauma.
As you can tell, they are very careful in their wording. The
reason this one worries me more is that my dad suffered from Alzheimer’s as did
at least my grandfather. It is decidedly not a good way to go. It certainly
makes me freak out when I forget someone’s name, like I often do! A book I read a while back, Where
Did I Leave My Glasses?: The What, When, and Why of Normal Memory Loss is
helpful to know what is normal.
I also have to keep in mind that these are only probabilities based on the current best science. Even in the last couple of years, I've seen the risk percentages change on 23andMe.
I also have to keep in mind that these are only probabilities based on the current best science. Even in the last couple of years, I've seen the risk percentages change on 23andMe.
Given all of that, is it good to know this data? I think that depends upon your
personality. At one level, it is good to have real data to help inspire
yourself to change your life. At the same time, however, the answer is almost
always cut down on stress, eat a good diet, and get plenty of exercise.
Wow...that was really interesting...not sure if I'd want to know or not...probably wouldn't be able to resist it if I had the kit though!
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