[Flash Walken]

Reading the report can be a strangely out-of-body experience—like learning secrets about a friend you thought you knew well. This writer has gene variants linked to high susceptibility to the norovirus (a.k.a. the “winter vomiting bug”), as well as the ability to metabolize caffeine quickly (gratifying, given current consumption patterns).

Of greater concern to genetic experts, though, are the heavyweight indicators such as those for Alzheimer’s, breast cancer and Parkinson’s. Before disclosing them, the 23andMe site requires members to open a printed primer explaining the results and their limitations. In the case of the Alzheimer’s APOE variants, they can also watch a video presentation by a Harvard Medical School doctor, Robert Green, who assures members he’s not being paid for his appearance. “Finding you are at somewhat higher risk might cause distress,” Green acknowledges in the clip. “So give it some thought. If you think this information might distress you, you can simply decide not to view it. Or feel free to discuss it with a doctor or a genetic counsellor before you unlock and view your results.”

Such notes of caution litter the site. But critics complain they aren’t enough, because the thought of revelatory news a couple of clicks away is too tempting for most people to pass up. Adverse findings can trigger panic, while an absence of indicators provides false reassurance, warns Allie Janson Hazell, president-elect of the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors. Furthermore, putting the information in perspective requires expert understanding of the limitations of a genetic test, as well as a person’s family history, she says. Janson Hazell points to 23andMe’s tests for three mutations associated with breast cancer, which are most prevalent in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. “If I, a person of non-Ashkenazi ancestry, get a normal result back, I might feel reassured, even if there’s lots of breast cancer in my family,” she says. “This is where the potential for harm comes in.”

As you might expect, what is framed in Canada as “potential for harm” takes the form of direct accusation in the United States. Less than a month after the FDA fired off its warning letter to 23andMe, the company was fending off a class-action lawsuit alleging that its health reports were scientifically meaningless marketing tools allowing it to build up its inventory of saleable gene data. One commentator on Forbes.com warned that quality control is an issue at 23andMe, accusing the company of extrapolating from “a few reports about specific populations.”

http://www.macleans.ca/society/healt...sting-at-home/

I'm trying to find another article I read about a woman with a predisposition to breast cancer and her journey of finding these things out. Really altered my perspective on this sort of thing.