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Disease Prevention

Your genes interact with your diet and lifestyle to influence your susceptibility to diseases. You can use your genetic data here in a couple of ways:

  1. Find the root cause: If you are dealing with a health condition, learn how to use your genetic data to get to the right solutions.
  2. Be proactive: Find out what you are genetically more susceptible to and what to do to prevent it.

Where to start in Disease Prevention?

Members: Check out the Disease Prevention Topic Summary Report for a quick overview of all your genetic variants related to disease prevention.

Articles and Genotype Reports ▼

Genes that Impact Ferritin Levels

Ferritin is the storage protein for iron in the body. Storing too little or too much iron can be an indicator of an underlying problem. Discover the genetic variants that impact ferritin and how to increase ferritin with supplements or foods.

Sudden Hearing Loss: Viruses, Vaccines, and Genes

Genetic variants can significantly increase your risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Learn more about the current research on sudden sensorineural hearing loss, including links to viral and vaccine causes.

Heat Shock Proteins

Heat Shock Proteins: Cellular Resilience

Heat shock proteins are activated by cells in response to a stressful condition, such as exposure to high heat. Learn more about the essentials of heat shock proteins, including how to activate them and the genetic variants that impact how well they work.

FTO is more than just an obesity gene

FTO and m6A methylation: From COVID to Cancer to Obesity

The initial research on the FTO gene was all about how it relates to increased BMI and increased fat cell creation. More recently, researchers discovered that FTO is an m6A eraser that removes methyl groups from mRNA. This discovery has opened up huge avenues of research on topics from cancer to immune response to heart disease.

Cystic Fibrosis: Check to see if you are a carrier

Being a carrier of a cystic fibrosis mutation increases the risk of several diseases including pneumonia from respiratory viruses, pancreatitis, and male infertility. (Member’s article)

Skin Cancer: Genes and Prevention

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and many forms are highly treatable if caught early. Learn more about the different types of skin cancer, your genetic risks, and lifestyle changes to help reduce risk.

Disease Prevention Summary Report

Utilize our Disease Prevention Summary Reports with your 23andMe or AncestryDNA genetic data to see which articles may be most relevant to you. These summaries are attempting to distill the complex information down into just a few words. Please see the linked articles for details and complete references. (Member’s article)

Age-Related Macular Degeneration Genes

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness in the elderly. You will find supplements specifically promoted for preventing AMD. This article explains age-related macular degeneration, delves into the genetic risks, and then explains which supplements are likely to be protective and which may do more harm than good.

Aspirin, colon cancer, and genetics

For some people with specific genetic variants, aspirin may help to prevent colon cancer. Learn more about what the research says and check your genes.

Melatonin: Key to Health and Longevity

More than just a sleep hormone, melatonin is at the heart of many health topics. Your genetic variants play a big role in the production of melatonin. Learn how your lifestyle and diet interact with your melatonin-related genes.

Does eating meat put you at a higher risk for colon cancer?

Depending on their processed meat intake, people who carry certain genetic variants are at an increased risk for colon cancer. You can check your genetic data to see if processed meat will likely increase colon cancer risk.

Building Up Iron: Hemochromatosis mutations

A couple of common mutations can cause you to build up iron, leading to iron overload or hemochromatosis. It is one genetic disease where knowledge is really powerful – you can completely prevent hemochromatosis through blood donations.

Alzheimer’s Gene: Find your APOE type from your genetic raw data

The APOE gene variants are linked with the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Find out whether you carry the APOE risk type for Alzheimer’s – and learn what research shows about supplements and lifestyle changes to prevent this disease.

Gallstone Genes

The genetic link to gallstones centers around the genes involved in regulating the absorption of cholesterol from plants and the excretion of cholesterol from the body. Learn more about the genetic variants that increase your risk.

HIF-1a: Hypoxia, Cancer, and Athletic Superpowers

The hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF1A) gene codes for a transcription factor, that 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.

Are your cavities caused by genetics?

It turns out that genetics plays a larger role here than you would think. It is estimated by researchers that the ‘heritability’ or genetic component of dental caries is about 50%. (Member’s article)

Back Pain: Genetics, root causes, and solutions

For some people, back pain is a daily occurrence that drastically affects their quality of life. For others, it may be an intermittent nagging problem, often without rhyme or reason. Your genes play a role in whether disc degeneration gives you back pain.

Will taking vitamin E increase your risk of cancer?

Vitamin E is an antioxidant often recommended as a supplement to prevent everything from heart disease to skin aging. But does everyone actually benefit from vitamin E supplements?