5 replies to this topic

[nowayout]

If you think you are going to learn much from Promethease, 23andme, and the like, think again.

What I have learned:

• I am likely to have straight hair, except I am also likely to have curly hair.
• I have an decreased risk of prostate cancer, except I also have an increased risk of prostate cancer.
• I am likely to have good HDL, except I am likely to have bad HDL.
• I am both more and less likely to get heart disease.
• I am a slow metabolizer of certain drugs, except I am also a fast metabolizer of the same drugs.
• I have a lower risk of certian autoimmune diseases, except I have a higher risk for the same diseases.
• If I got HIV, I would have a slower progression to AIDS, except I would also have a faster progression to AIDS.
• I am likely to have an eye color I don't have.

This problem is getting worse as more SNPs are being interpreted.

[PWAIN]

Your expectations were probably wrong to start with.

Even if you have a higher chance of some ailment, you may not get that, it is only a probability thing.

23andme provide summaries which do their best to indicate the likelihood of something so that one SNP may indicate high HDL and another low and they then try to consider the strength of the research and expected impact of each SNP to give a guide to what is more likely. They also have a star system to indicate the expected reliability of the summary.

Add to this that new research is discovering new SNP's and this information may change over time.

My results appear to be pretty accurate with hair and eyes correctly predicted, known genetic susceptabilitys correct and general risk factors in line with family history eg. cancer is more prevalent than heart disease in my family and this is reflected in the genetic profile.

The human body like most biological systems is very complex with different pars playing off against each other and the result is the balance between these and a dash of chance.

[nowayout]

The human body like most biological systems is very complex with different pars playing off against each other and the result is the balance between these and a dash of chance.

...which is my point as to why these tests are mostly useless. We are going to learn more from regular medical examinations and even family history. In fact, in my case (and I expect in many others') these tests are almost the opposite of information; maybe we can call it anti-information, given that the couple of risk "predictions" that I was really interested in obtaining from them are contradicted by my own medical history.

In other words, paying attention to your 23andme results are as likely to hurt you as help you.

[niner]

I think knowing your ApoE genotype is pretty helpful.

[nowayout]

I think knowing your ApoE genotype is pretty helpful.

How so?

[niner]

I think knowing your ApoE genotype is pretty helpful.

How so?

The chart in the first post of this thread lays it out.