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Old 01-09-2013, 07:11 AM   #21
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Originally Posted by Katsmeow View Post
Basically I am not sure that I want to know about ApoE4. I know I could get the results and just not look at that one. But, I also know me. If the test is run and the results are there I think I would likely look at them.
I really want the other results....just not that one. I would be interested in doing the testing if I could have all the other testing run but not that test.
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Originally Posted by W2R View Post
- - If I found a high probability of a genetic issue, I could worry about it and it might never happen. At any rate, I do not see what I really could do about it.
Having an increased risk of Alzheimer's doesn't mean that you're actually going to develop it. I have twice the normal risk and I almost never think about it.

I now just pay a little more attention when I read about prevention and therapies, which is probably a good thing as prevention and early detection can mean much better outcomes, with many health conditions.
I'm not skipping screening for other diseases, as genetics is but one part of the puzzle, in most cases it gives you an increase or a decrease in risk, but that doesn't mean that you'll be hit or spared.

Good luck, whatever you decide. I'm in my fourties, which probably also makes it easier not be too concerned. On the other hand, I've always been something of a hypochondriac, or at least my keen interest in what could go wrong and how I can anticipate looks like that in the eyes of friends and family.

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Originally Posted by Animorph View Post
For $99 I'm interested, but when new DNA links are found will I need to be retested? A full map that I could reference when new links are found would be cool.
As new information becomes available, it's added to your profile on 23andme.com.
But somehow I expect that this won't be my last DNA test.
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Old 01-09-2013, 09:17 AM   #22
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Originally Posted by Katsmeow View Post
I guess what I really wish you could do is have those results simply not be available to you at all. I don't mind them testing for it but just wish there was a way to tell them not to make the information available at all on the site....
I think this depends. As I've indicated I'm reluctant to know about the ApoE4 and increased Alzheimer's risk as that is something that I don't think I could do much about.
I don't have a good answer to this question, but here it is:
Would you want to know about it if you thought there might be a fix or a cure for it during the next 20 years?
My personal answer was "Oh yes."

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Originally Posted by timeasterday View Post
After you sent back the test kit, how long did it take to get the results?
We all sent our kits back on Monday 17 Dec (pre-paid USPS). I forget where the shipping address was but the week before Christmas in Hawaii is one of the worst times of the year to send mail. My sample arrived at the lab on 26 Dec, so that's about right for this time of year. My results were "ready" on 7 Jan but my spouse and our daughter had theirs a day or two earlier. I say "ready" because not all the info was posted on the website until 8 Jan.

So... shipping plus a couple weeks, just as advertised. Of course the price drop might generate a lot of new customers and cause a backlog.

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Originally Posted by donheff View Post
I am somewhat interested. I'm not afraid of knowing but am a bit skeptical of how useful the information is at this point. I have read that for most people the info won't really tell you anything. Nords - I suspect you have read everything about this and can enlighten us about the general state of the art. I would also like to know (without the need for sensitive details) about whether the results show interesting things you were not even expecting to learn. I.e., any pleasant surprises along the lines of, "I didn't know they could tell you about that?"
The results are extremely detailed (the "summary" is over 30 pages of printout) and quite enlightening. I got a significant-life-moment eyeful of unpleasant and unexpected surprises. It's not as bad as playing Russian Roulette with a semi-automatic pistol, but there's more than one round chambered in my genetic revolver. I have a lot of research and reading to do and more lifestyle changes to consider. It turns out that I'm a carrier, too, so my whole "blogger groupie" research is probably not going to work out either...

My spouse confirmed her heritage and eased her suspicions about a couple questions. She's already writing her winner's acceptance speech for our alma mater's "Ten Oldest Alumni" competition.

Our daughter is going to want to do genetic testing with whomever she decides to procreate. So I'm especially glad that we (particularly me) did this testing for her benefit.

There are pleasant surprises too. For example my spouse's results came in first, and we learned that her genotype is 2.7% Neanderthal (out of a possible 4%) with a worldwide average of 2.5%. I had a lot of fun with spouse-related Neanderthal humor for the 24 hours before my results came in... at 2.9%. Our daughter came in at 2.4%, so I guess evolution is occurring.

23andMe makes research-based predictions on your ability to metabolize alcohol, whether you'll have adverse reactions or sensitivities to certain drugs, and whether you're likely to be addicted to heroin or to overeat. To their credit, they just point out that you have genes which have been implicated by research, and they supply you with the citations so that you can make your own assessment.

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Originally Posted by Lazarus View Post
What does the test show about ethnic background. I am interested since I work on my Genealogy. Don't need to know yours just what kind of info the test can show.
The company knows about the Seven Daughters of Eve (mitochondrial analysis) and has a huge genealogy database. They also let people with 23andMe accounts sign up to share ancestry data. I'm sure they're discussing business options with websites like Ancestry.com and organizations like the LDS.

My spouse has done a few years of genealogy and has already pinpointed the birthplace of her great-grandparents. 23andMe said "Yeah, you're pretty close, but it's across the street and down four doors." They nailed it for me, too, although admittedly my name is pretty common in that corner of the world.

Our daughter is just thrilled to confirm her heritage, especially in Hawaii where it's very much a topic of discussion. I'm considering buying her a Viking helmet for her commissioning ceremony.

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Originally Posted by obgyn65 View Post
Please keep us informed, Nords. I would be interested in hearing about more details (e.g. about the actual process, not your actual results), as this may be something I could advise some patients who cannot afford more expensive options. Thanks.
I'm going to eventually stop commenting on this thread and move the discussion over to a blog post.
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Old 01-09-2013, 10:22 AM   #23
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Nords, do you have any financial interests or ties to the company 23andMe?
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Old 01-09-2013, 01:35 PM   #24
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I'm going to eventually stop commenting on this thread and move the discussion over to a blog post.
I'm interested. Where is this blog? :-)
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Old 01-09-2013, 05:30 PM   #25
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I did a bunch of that as a very small baby, but it was all postnatal.
That is something i have continued well into middle age. Never know when I might find something new.

Ha
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Old 01-09-2013, 08:00 PM   #26
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Originally Posted by Nords View Post
I don't have a good answer to this question, but here it is:
Would you want to know about it if you thought there might be a fix or a cure for it during the next 20 years?
My personal answer was "Oh yes."
Sure, I would agree....but do I want to know now or do I want to know when the fix/cure exists? That is, is there a case to be made to test this at a time when whatever you find out might actually impact what you do or don't do?

I'm not sure of the answer to that. Need to do some research on this and decide. I had thought about doing the testing when you brought it up a few months ago but thought it was a little pricey. I'm more likely to look into it seriously now.

An interesting recent article I turned up that talks about the negatives of testing and the one big upside:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenko...cs-revolution/
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Old 01-09-2013, 11:08 PM   #27
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For some reason I can't figure out if the results are private. I see mention of GINA but there is the disclaimer that life insurance companies can use the data.

I'd like to do this testing but don't want to shoot myself in the foot either. If I need to renew my life insurance policy or buy a new one I wonder if there would be a question about genetic testing. hmmmm
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Old 01-10-2013, 07:04 AM   #28
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Nords, do you have any financial interests or ties to the company 23andMe?
I wish I did. But I do not.

If I'd seen this presentation at an angel investor's meeting 5-10 years ago I would've thought that these guys would limp along on federal research grants for years and eventually sell out to big pharma (or big insurance) at minimal gains. I don't know enough about the skills of the execs (not the techs but the execs) to know if they can carry the company to profitability (or sell out for huge gains) but that would probably be the key factor.

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I'm interested. Where is this blog? :-)
It's The-Military-Guide.com, and I'll post here when I've written the post for the blog, but I haven't written it yet. It'll be another week or two. Three tops. No more than four at the outside.

The 23andMe website also has a forum which I need to explore more.

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Originally Posted by Katsmeow View Post
Sure, I would agree....but do I want to know now or do I want to know when the fix/cure exists? That is, is there a case to be made to test this at a time when whatever you find out might actually impact what you do or don't do?
I'm not sure of the answer to that. Need to do some research on this and decide. I had thought about doing the testing when you brought it up a few months ago but thought it was a little pricey. I'm more likely to look into it seriously now.
Here's another thought.

The test claims that I'm hypersensitive to a couple of drugs that are used for chemotherapy. In other words if I contract a certain kind of cancer and then start chemo, the first dose would probably risk my health if not kill me. You'd think that an oncologist (or a chemo clinic) would screen for it. But they also say "Hey, Nords, are you allergic to any medications?" If I ever end up with this type of cancer then I think I'm happier knowing about this hypersensitivity before I make a chemo decision.

I've seen stats that 90% of cardiac patients (after stents and other surgery) still never make the necessary lifestyle changes-- stopping smoking, let alone losing weight. But I've learned that some lifestyle changes (annoying but not too unreasonable) will help me keep going for another few decades while medical science works on the solution. Now that I know, I'm motivated to make these changes.

I guess it also depends on the type/degree of the lifestyle change. I'd find it very easy to give up broccoli, too, if that was necessary. Every time I see a cold, frosty beer my muscles start a reflex grasp response-- then I think of all the other ways my body responds to alcohol now and I'm pretty sure that my drinking days are behind me. However I'd have a hard time giving up chocolate.

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Originally Posted by Katsmeow View Post
An interesting recent article I turned up that talks about the negatives of testing and the one big upside:
What Is 23andMe Really Selling: The Moral Quandary At The Center Of The Personalized Genomics Revolution - Forbes
I'd like to read the article that the guy writes AFTER he's read his genetic profile, not before. Hard to tell from this article whether or not he's a parent, too.

I like his crowdsource analogy. And for $50M, it's far cheaper than most government-funded research programs. Thanks for the link.

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Originally Posted by stargazer08 View Post
For some reason I can't figure out if the results are private. I see mention of GINA but there is the disclaimer that life insurance companies can use the data.
I'd like to do this testing but don't want to shoot myself in the foot either. If I need to renew my life insurance policy or buy a new one I wonder if there would be a question about genetic testing. hmmmm
They're as private as the Internet can be! It's probably the same policy as Facebook-- anonymous demographic data with no personal information.

I agree that this is an issue. One of the reasons I can write about it is because (I think) I'm relatively shielded from being denied health insurance or long-term care insurance. Another issue to research.
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Old 01-10-2013, 07:17 AM   #29
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Has anyone else here done 23andMe? Care to share your thoughts on the process and the fees?

I've done it. I wanted to know whether I had the APOE variant for Alzheimer's. It was worth the $299 price I paid at the time.
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Old 01-10-2013, 07:44 AM   #30
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The entire subject is fascinating.
A broad overview for the general topic is here.

Human Genome Project Information
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Old 01-10-2013, 09:39 AM   #31
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I am interested in this testing, if
- I get a clear info on how the results are handled, stored and shared.
- If they will give me the raw data of my samples (My PhD was based on similar work)

Anyone knows on this aspect, especially those who have been through. I guess, I could call their customer support but they will give me the answers I want to hear.
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Old 01-10-2013, 02:19 PM   #32
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I am interested in this testing, if
- I get a clear info on how the results are handled, stored and shared.
You probably want something more detailed, but this covers much of it:
https://www.23andme.com/about/privacy/

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Originally Posted by noelm View Post
- If they will give me the raw data of my samples (My PhD was based on similar work)
In the "Account" menu there's an option "Browse raw data". And in that window there's a "download raw data" link. I just downloaded my genome and had to jump through some security hoops, which is good. It's a zip file that contains a 25MB txt file, TAB-separated. Each line corresponds to a single SNP. For each SNP, they provide its identifier
(an rsid or an internal id), its location on the reference human genome, and the genotype call oriented with respect to the plus strand on the human reference sequence. They are using reference human assembly build 37 (also known as Annotation Release 104), whatever that may mean. The format looks like this:
# rsid chromosome position genotype
rs4477212 1 82154 AA
Etc.
(sorry, the tabs were somehow lost when posting this)
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Old 01-13-2013, 08:48 AM   #33
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My wife & I got our kits yesterday. We'll send them back out tomorrow and await the results.
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Old 01-13-2013, 03:54 PM   #34
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At $299, it was too pricey. At $99, it seems like a good deal. I signed up this morning, probably have the kit later this week. I'm curious to see how the results align with my expectations.

DW is still deciding if she wants to know...
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Old 01-13-2013, 08:26 PM   #35
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Does anyone know if this test would be considered a qualified HSA health care expense?
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Old 01-13-2013, 08:31 PM   #36
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Does anyone know if this test would be considered a qualified HSA health care expense?
If so, it will be listed here: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf
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Old 01-22-2013, 03:02 PM   #37
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I did the National Geographic's Genographic Project a few years ago. It just tested about a dozen markers known for mutations in large geno groups. My clan came down from northern Europe into Scotland, England and France. Interesting, but not too useful really.

I receive periodic contact information of people with similar data, and actually located a cousin. He was descended from my G-G-grandfather's first wife. I'm from the second wife. But he did the complete 23ANDme thing. He wanted me to do it too, but $299 was a show stopper. But at $99, maybe so.

He sent me some of the data from his test, but it was meaningless to this old engineer. Perhaps if he'd also sent the instructions for reading the data..hum.

Nords, I'm always interested in your perspective, so let us know when the blog posts are up.
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Old 01-28-2013, 04:13 AM   #38
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Bumping up this thread. I would be interested to know if anyone tried this genetic testing service and whether the results are useful to them. Thank you.
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Old 01-28-2013, 04:59 AM   #39
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Our samples are in the lab as of a week ago. I'll post our thoughts after we get the results.
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Old 03-05-2013, 04:57 AM   #40
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Just got my health results. The ancestry stuff will come in later. My wife's results are a little behind me, even though we sent in our samples at the same time. So far the health results look pretty interesting. Lots of data to look through!
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