Disease Prevention
Your genes interact with your diet and lifestyle to influence your susceptibility to many common diseases. Learn how to use your genetic data to discover your risk for chronic conditions and how to prevent the diseases before they occur.
Type 2 Diabetes
Not all of your type 2 diabetes risk is from what you eat. Genetics plays a role in diabetes -- it can 'run in the family'. The key here is that there are different genetic reasons and specific solutions that may work better for prevention.
Hemochromatosis
A couple of common mutations can cause you to build up iron, leading to iron overload or hemochromatosis. This is one genetic disease where knowledge is really powerful - you can completely prevent hemochromatosis through blood donations.
Alzheimer's Disease
One very important gene that has been very well researched for Alzheimer’s disease is the APOE gene. Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (after age 60) is thought to be influenced both by genes and by environmental factors, so keep in mind when looking at your genetic risk that your genes are only one part of the equation when it comes to Alzheimer’s. Learn about your Alzheimer's risk -- and what you can do to prevent this disease.
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
A genetic mutation in the SERPINA1 gene causes alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. This increases a person’s susceptibility to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and, in some cases, cirrhosis of the liver. Knowing that you carry this mutation can be a great incentive to avoid smoking and to be kind to your liver.
Migraines
Migraine plague more than a billion people worldwide. That is a lot of people who know the pain, mental fogginess, sensitivity to light, and overwhelming desire to crawl into a dark hole and hide from the world. Knowing how your genes influence your risk of migraines can help you tailor solutions that may work better for you.
Familial Mediterranean Fever
Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a genetic condition of inflammatory episodes that cause painful joints, pain in the abdomen, or pain in the chest, and is most often accompanied by a fever. FMF is often misdiagnosed as various pain-related conditions such as fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, or gouty arthritis.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
There are multiple causes of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and genetics can definitely play a role in IBS symptoms. Pinpointing your genetic cause may help you to figure out the right solution for you.
Gulf War Illness
It is estimated that 250,000 – 300,000 of the US veterans that served in the Gulf War have had lingering, chronic effects known as Gulf War Illness. Learn about the research on this topic as well as the genetic variants that are involved in the susceptibility to GWI.
HIF1A: Cancer and Hypoxia
The hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF1A) gene codes for a transcription factor, which responds to the amount of oxygen available to the cell. This is important in cancer prevention, and several HIF1A genetic variants alter the susceptibility to several types of cancer.
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