In an era when new DNA discoveries are announced daily, it often seems like the amount of genetic information we now have about ourselves is endless. Quantity, however, isn’t always the same thing as quality.
While genomic science continues to uncover fascinating details about our DNA, some of those findings are more useful than others. It may be interesting, for example, to learn whether you share a sprinter’s genetic propensity for speed. It’s important, however, to know whether you carry a high genetic risk for heart attack.
In our genetic health service, Navigenics analyzes only DNA relevant to your health.
To be added to our gene test panel, a health condition and the science behind it have to meet strict rules:
- The condition has to be medically relevant.
- The health condition must be one that you or your doctor can act on, to delay its onset, detect it early, treat it promptly, reduce its effects – or prevent it entirely.
- The research findings suggesting a possible link between a genetic risk marker and a health condition must have been validated by multiple well-designed studies.
As a result, fewer than 5 percent of marker-to-condition associations reported in the scientific literature make it onto our genetic test panel.
That’s why you won’t find DNA information on traits such as height or eye color in the Navigenics Health Compass. There is no medical benefit to knowing one’s genetic predisposition to physical traits one already has.
Learn more about how we choose the conditions we cover, or contact one of our Genetic Counselors with any questions about the conditions we focus on.