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This fall, personal-genetics company 23andMe launched a new direct-to-consumer test that complies with the FDA’s rules on personal-genetics testing.
The new test gives information on everything from how much DNA you share with our Neanderthal ancestors to how much caffeine you likely consume.
It also lets you know if you’re carrying certain genetic variations related to diseases that you could pass on to your kids.
I’ve been interested in what 23andMe is doing ever since I heard they were planning to develop drugs based on genetic information. But I was also curious to see what kind of diseases I might be at risk of passing down to my kids and whether the health concerns that run in my family could be spotted in my spit.
The new test includes more information about customers’ health and wellness. I found out, for example, I’m not predisposed to having “sprinter/power type” muscles because I don’t have two copies of a special muscle protein that’s been connected to Olympic sprinters. But, 23andMe Vice President of Business Development, Life Sciences Emily Drabant Conley said, this result is not intended to be used as a diagnostic test — had I been a good sprinter (I’m not), this would just reinforce why I’m so good.
Read full, original post: I tried 23andMe’s new genetic test — and now I know why the company caused such a stir