Heather Bonaguidi is making an effort to include more anti-oxidants and whole grains in her diet.
Rashaad Forehand is drinking less alcohol and cutting down on his ice cream intake.
These are the sorts of healthier choices we’re all told to make, and that many of us ignore. But Heather and Rashaad have extra motivation – they’ve learned about some of the personal health risks carried in their DNA.
If a genetic test revealed that you had an increased genetic risk for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease or diabetes, how would you react? Would you change your lifestyle and modify the risks that you could? Would you really stop smoking , or lose the weight you had been meaning to for years? Would you actually improve your health and possibly even prevent the diseases by taking action?
A 20-year study of thousands of people who have taken a Navigenics genetic test aims to answer those questions for good. But in the interim, the San Diego Union-Tribune asked several study participants who recently got their Navigenics test results how they are using their genetic information – if they are using it at all. Overwhelmingly, their reactions have been positive.
Heather Bonaguidi’s genetic test revealed she had a slightly increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, both of which have run in her family. She learned that she should exercise more, cut down on sugar and fats, and integrate more fruits and vegetables into her diet. And she has. She told the Union-Tribune she has been drinking a green tea to get more anti-oxidants and she takes fish-oil capsules and red-yeast-rice supplements to improve her health. “I’ve lost a couple of pounds already by eating healthier,” she said.
Rashaad Forehand said his genetic test results indicated he has a lot of changes to make to his lifestyle habits, especially when it comes to his diet. He has already cut back on a few favorites, such as ice cream and waffle fries. “Six months from now, I think I’ll be eating more fruits and vegetables, because that’s the easiest change to make,” he told the newspaper. Of course, it will be two decades before the scientists behind the study will fully quantify to what extent people take control over their own health after getting their genetic test results. But Dr. Eric Topol, director of Scripps Genomic Medicine and the leader of the new study, believes that genetic testing represents a great opportunity for many consumers.
Getting one’s genetic information “may be empowering to individuals – and that may be a good thing,” he recently said in a new video blog posted on Medscape, a website for physicians.
How has genetic testing helped you? Share your story here.
gigi May 18, 2009
I saw the article in the San Diego Union-Tribune and found it very interesting and informative. Check it out at: www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/may/17/1n17genes003020-will-genetic-test-results-drive-li/