DNA Mapping - Pro's & Con's

[CaptainYooh]

23andme.com is offering a complete DNA report for $199. They send you a kit (I believe, it's a simple container which you spit in and send the sample back to them for analysis) and then send you your complete DNA map including predisposition to various diseases etc. The Terms of Service on the company web-site list some of the risk of using the service that include your DNA data getting into the wrong hands and used against you etc. It also speaks about unpredictability of one's personal reaction to "knowing".

I am thinking about it. I am also thinking about how it could change one's life for better and/or for worse. In Greek mythology, a very popular theme was about someone finding about a future cause of their death from a God or an oracle and then unsuccessfully trying all their life to avoid this cause, yet dying exactly from it in the end.

Would you do it? Why not? Why yes?

[calumniate]

I've heard some stories about sending DNA to three different places and getting three different answers. So it may not be as clairvoyant as you might think still

[CaptainYooh]

Perhaps. Assume it's reasonably accurate. Mine is a more philosophical question – would you want to know?

[Canehdianman]

There have been a few other threads on this you might want to check out.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/search....archid=6783837

I think this was the most popular - http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthr...hlight=23andme

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

23andme.com is offering a complete DNA report for $199. They send you a kit (I believe, it's a simple container which you spit in and send the sample back to them for analysis) and then send you your complete DNA map including predisposition to various diseases etc. The Terms of Service on the company web-site list some of the risk of using the service that include your DNA data getting into the wrong hands and used against you etc. It also speaks about unpredictability of one's personal reaction to "knowing".

I am thinking about it. I am also thinking about how it could change one's life for better and/or for worse. In Greek mythology, a very popular theme was about someone finding about a future cause of their death from a God or an oracle and then unsuccessfully trying all their life to avoid this cause, yet dying exactly from it in the end.

Would you do it? Why not? Why yes?

I would not do it.

A lot of the "predisposition to disease" results are based on GWAS and SNP studies published in the literature that are, to be fair, not very informative and at worst, misleading. They're associations, not causative correlations. So from a hard scientific point of view, there isn't much to the results that you can bank on.

The other problem with these tests is that there is very little you can do once you receive the data. In other words, let's say they tell you that you have an increased risk of heart disease: What are you going to do? We have no drugs that are heart disease preventatives, so there is nothing you can "take."

The only prescription to the majority of the test results is to live a healthy lifestyle, eat right and exercise. Since we already know the importance of all that, I'm unsure that the specific prospect of being susceptible to disease X or Y will enrich your life.

[Looch City]

National Geographic has their version on sale right now for $160. I know a friend that received one for Christmas as well.

http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/n...a-ancestry-kit

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Iggy City

National Geographic has their version on sale right now for $160. I know a friend that received one for Christmas as well.

http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/n...a-ancestry-kit

Yeah I did that test. The most interesting thing is that I'm 2.0% Neanderthal which is pretty common and 3.6% Denisovan which is a high percentage. They are from eastern Eurasia.

https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/denisovan/

[Dan02]

I'd do it just for the fun of it.

[getbak]

I did it a couple of years ago when they had a sale on. If you have a pretty good knowledge of your family's history, there probably won't be any big surprises in the results.

As far as the health markers are concerned, none of them are decisive, so you don't have to worry about finding out you're going to get cancer and die before you're 50. You're not going to get anything like that.

Generally speaking, you'll have a better understanding of your genetic predispositions just by knowing your family's medical history.


It's interesting information to have, but unless you don't know any of your ancestors' information, you probably won't get any new information (unless there are skeletons buried in your family's past).

[GirlySports]

It wasn't me.

[PIMking]

I know where I'm from so I'm good...

I bet we all bleed the same color though!

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by calumniate

I've heard some stories about sending DNA to three different places and getting three different answers. So it may not be as clairvoyant as you might think still

I read the same thing when I was researching it a while ago. It disappointed me to the point that I decided to save my money. Apparently it happens a lot.

[saskflames69]

My family ordered one for my mom on her birthday last year because she never knew who her biological father was.

I was very surprised to see Australian Aborigine on the list. It's only like 6% but it's still something cool that I would not have otherwise known.

[Robotic]

I haven't read to much into it, but I hear the woman who started 23andme is married to the Google cofounder. They keep your DNA in a record, and sell it to third parties for profiling.