On the one hand knowledge is power, so for example discovering we were genetically more susceptible to lung cancer might have helped us quit smoking.
However, we’re in two minds about the genetic health reports. MyHeritage’s ancestry screening is effective and interesting – we weren’t surprised to have Viking DNA, but we didn’t know we were part-Spanish too – but it’s of limited interest if you don’t want to trace your family tree.Īs a service, MyHeritage is impressive. Now, we’re just more worried about the damage we’ve already done. If we hadn’t given up smoking already that might have been enough to make us quit. Our results told us that we had slightly elevated risks of liver disease, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. MyHeritage does a good job of putting this information in context, so for example when it screens for risks of lung cancer it rightly points out that smoking is much more of a concern than any genetic marker.
The site does a good job of explaining what risk really means, and that any screening is limited (Image credit: MyHeritage) Just because you’re genetically predisposed to, say, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) doesn’t mean you’ll get it, but it does mean that heavy smoking is likely to be even more dangerous for you than for anyone else. Genetic testing doesn’t give you a death sentence or a get out of jail free card: the reports measure risk, not certainty. We think it’s important to understand the scope and limits of the information it can provide. in the US, the genetic health reports require a physician’s order. You can opt not to be told about degenerative conditions for which there’s not currently a cure. It also analyses your likelihood of being a carrier for genetic conditions that you might pass on to your children.
MyHeritage’s health reporting provides information about your genetic risks of conditions such as cancers (especially those linked with BRCA1 and 2, such as breast cancer and ovarian cancer), Crohn’s disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It emails when new matches are found (Image credit: MyHeritage) MyHeritage doesn’t charge you to contact your DNA matches.
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