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FDA Authorizes Ten 23andme Genetic Health Risk Reports

blog.23andme.com

31–40 of 195 posts

Re: FDA Authorizes Ten 23andme Genetic Health Risk Reports

#31
post #19

My opinion is that this test is useless at the least and dangerous at the most. It provides information that in almost the totality of the cases no one can correctly interpretate and transform in actionable health advice. Not scientists, not doctors, much less consumers. But it is sold as a cutting edge scientific resource that will improve your life. It wont. Not even increasing the chance that you might avoid somet…

This is the state of just about every trendy consumer health product. My watch tells me my heartbeat? Great. What the hell am I supposed to do with that information? Exactly nothing .

It can be pretty helpful for exercise.

Re: FDA Authorizes Ten 23andme Genetic Health Risk Reports

#32
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am a total layman in biology, genetics, and health, so I have no broader or deeper opinion at all on the subject. I specifically don't believe that this 23andme (or similar) test is any good for your health or useful at all. And selling it as such is dangerous.

Then what are you basing your opinion on?

On articles that I read on the subject (the subject of 23andme tests, not genetics in general) and my own capacity for acquiring information and transforming them into learnings and opinions that I form to better live my life.

Re: FDA Authorizes Ten 23andme Genetic Health Risk Reports

#33
post #6

Is there any way to just have your entire genome sequenced and get all the data in a software-friendly format? At that point there could/should be some open source software for analyzing it and finding common or well understood things like this. That way the software could be updated and people could re-run their analysis to look for newly discovered stuff. I think this would be an awesome amount of fun. I for one wo…

Very few companies even scan your entire DNA. 23andMe analyzes for example maybe less than 1 or 2%.

Presumably most (98% isn't it) of our DNA is the same thought, right?

About 98% of our DNA does just makes an ordinary human body with normal systems.

So we're only interested in the 2% that can vary.

Or whatever the actual numbers are.

Re: FDA Authorizes Ten 23andme Genetic Health Risk Reports

#34
post #29

DNA readings will soon be the new Horoscopes...

There are already companies out there using DNA sequencing for some absolutely bullshit products...Vinome comes to mind, they suggest wine you might like based on your genome.

Personally, I'm all for it though. It's a way to have fun with science. As a scientist, it's nice to have stupid "horoscopes" to keep life interesting.

Re: FDA Authorizes Ten 23andme Genetic Health Risk Reports

#35
post #24

Are they still saying that by submitting a sample to them, that they then own your genome and can sell it to whoever they want? I'd love to get mine sequenced and check it out a bit, but not if they are going to sell it off to a million shady companies whenever they go bankrupt (maybe 50+ years, but still)

[deleted]

Re: FDA Authorizes Ten 23andme Genetic Health Risk Reports

#36
post #25

> For several years, 23andMe has worked on demonstrating that its reports are easy to understand and analytically valid... I guess these are different reports, but I know a genetic counsellor who describes 23andMe's carrier screening tests as "the bane of their existence". Those reports seem not-so-easy to understand based on the patients she sees. One problem is that they warn that your offspring are at high risk fo…

When I signed up the sample they took was spit in a vial. It never clicked for me that this was going to be the most scientifically accurate reading of my health in all the world. I took part because it could give me some scaring and soothing. But I assumed I'd go get a real test done if I was actually worried or interested about something specifically. The website repeats this sentiment over and over, I learned abou…

The "real" genetic test I took in doctor's office to screen for a condition worked by spitting in a bottle too. It's a reasonable way to collect DNA.

Re: FDA Authorizes Ten 23andme Genetic Health Risk Reports

#37
post #24

Are they still saying that by submitting a sample to them, that they then own your genome and can sell it to whoever they want? I'd love to get mine sequenced and check it out a bit, but not if they are going to sell it off to a million shady companies whenever they go bankrupt (maybe 50+ years, but still)

Haven't read it fully, but i think it would be on this page:

https://www.23andme.com/about/privacy/

Re: FDA Authorizes Ten 23andme Genetic Health Risk Reports

#38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very few companies even scan your entire DNA. 23andMe analyzes for example maybe less than 1 or 2%.

Presumably most (98% isn't it) of our DNA is the same thought, right? About 98% of our DNA does just makes an ordinary human body with normal systems. So we're only interested in the 2% that can vary . Or whatever the actual numbers are.

I think 23andme's genotyping is about 1% coverage compared to whole-exome sequencing, which itself sequences the ~1% of your DNA that codes for proteins.

Re: FDA Authorizes Ten 23andme Genetic Health Risk Reports

#39
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have already submitted a sample, you will get a report. Since 23andme maps your whole genome, they simply compare the existing data as new finding are approved. OR if you are like some and signed up early before the FDA crackdown, you already got all this information and now they are just reappearing little by little.

23andMe uses genotyping. IANAMB, but I think that means they run a series of assays each of which "examines" a small PART of the genome to look for something very specific. As part of their process, however, they could extract the DNA and keep a sample frozen for later assays or even full genome sequencing but I don't know if they do that. https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/202904600...

They give you the option when you sign up, of retaining your sample for later sequencing runs on newer/more comprehensive hardware, or discarding it.

Re: FDA Authorizes Ten 23andme Genetic Health Risk Reports

#40
post #24

Are they still saying that by submitting a sample to them, that they then own your genome and can sell it to whoever they want? I'd love to get mine sequenced and check it out a bit, but not if they are going to sell it off to a million shady companies whenever they go bankrupt (maybe 50+ years, but still)

I ended up canceling my account because of this reason. That and the fact that a bunch of random people started trying to hit me up because apparently we were "linked".
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