@AuDHD_Mom
Alzheimer's runs in my family; my paternal Grandma passed away from it. My Dad used to really stress over it, and began showing signs of it in his 60's. Then I found a study that showed the more you stressed over it, the worse the symptoms would be. I talked to my Dad about that study, and he agreed to go to counseling. He just turned 70, and while he still gets confused sometimes, it is not nearly as bad as before he went to counseling!! So grateful for that study as it got my Boomer, Vietnam veteran dad finally into therapy!
@eyeglassesstringmusic
As someone with a PhD in human genetics and publications in top medical journals like The Lancet and JAMA, I actually knew the vp of genomic health at 23andme. The problems are: 1) They sell genetics as medicine before the science is settled. Most diseases are influenced by MANY genes and environmental factors, so looking at just one or a few variants and labeling someone as ‘high risk’ oversimplifies the science and misleads consumers. 2) These tests often lack what we call “actionability” in medicine, where results guide treatment or prevention. Without proper interpretation by a clinical geneticist, most results lead to confusion and anxiety for the consumer. 3) Finally, there’s a big difference between these “fun” tests and clinical-grade genetic testing. The fun tests analyze limited genotypes (think looking at a few letters out of a library of books), while clinical tests often sequence your exome or genome for a much deeper accurate analysis (think reading whole pages or books in a library). Bottom-line: home genetic tests can be entertaining, but when it’s treated like clinical medicine, it can lead to misinterpretation and unnecessary anxiety. Use them with caution!
@Electriccst
Genetic tests companies should only focus on ancestry finding and not on giving health advices
@myfloatingbubbles
I did a 23 and me test and found out I had 50+ siblings from shady sperm donor practices and my mom never told me until 25 years later 🙃
@Renofirefly30
My 23andme genetic test saved my life. It identified the genetic disorder that was killing me. I was sick for over 10 years and doctors said nothing was wrong with me. My genetic test said i had 2 copies of the c282y gene for Hemochromatosis. I had confirmation testing done and my ferritin was over 3,000. It already caused cirrhosis of the liver and was starting to destroy my heart. I now have to see a hematologist twice a week to prevent a liver transplant.
@vidoexperience8112
My dad was really lucky- he was adopted on the other side of the country and 23 and me found his half brother! That was a nice thing for them ❤️
@carolek2422
My older brother did a test and didn't get the results he was expecting. It turns out my father was not his father. A big shock with no one to ask, seeing both of my parents are gone now.
@so_confused779
Yet a insurance adjuster that has no medical degree is allowed to tell my doctor what they are allowed to do maybe the fda needs to talk to the insurance companies
@flame_half
My wife was adopted from Guatemala as a baby and I got her to do a 23andme test. She didn't even realize that she could be connected to family members. We found a full blood sister that lives in Texas. We are incredibly close with her now too. It's been amazing to see my wife get that kind of closure and fulfillment in finding a blood relative. I do think there are privacy risks, but that relationship alone was worth every risk.
@Eli_Skipjack
I took a bioethics class in college. One of the presentations was explaining just how easy it was to de-anonymize “anonymous” medical and genetic data, including several case studies. I was floored by just how little “anonymous data” was required to pinpoint someone. After taking that class, I treat my medical, health, and genetic information with the highest level of security. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I knew any of those DTC genetic test companies had my data.
@ursulawinn
Here's another fun one. A friend did 3 tests. Here's why. They sent the first one in, expecting something that matched the genealogy tree/research one of their relatives was heavy into for the family. It did not match. The resemblance in parentage was was pretty intense, so they weren't thinking that (looked just like their dad). So, the friend sent it in again. Same results? No. Completely different results including heavy Pacific Islander which is not anywhere, visible anyway, in the family. At this percentage, we'd expect some visibility. So they sent in for a third test with a complaint. The company responding asking what were you expecting. They told the company. The next test was again different than the first two but in line with the stated expectations, sans Pacific Islander. How would you interpret that experience? Medical aspects aside.
@RobertSpitzer
While I am not sold on a lot of the claims, as an adoptee it did allow me to connect with my birth family. For that alone I can forgive any of its shortcomings.
@adamfriedmann9379
The biggest problem is the lack of laws in the United States protecting online consumer privacy. Seems like a no brainer but money speaks louder than common sense.
@l3reezy412
I did one and found out I have a genetic blood disorder. Told my doctor and they did tests to confirm it. Sure enough, it was positive. I never would have known.
@BKScience812
My aunt took a commercial genetics test because of family history of autoimmunity. The results came back with 11 different pathogenic alleles, 5 of which were dominant, but she had no symptoms of any of the dominant alleles she allegedly had. I warned her the commercial genetics tests were not up to snuff, so she went to an actual genetic counselor who tested multiple members of the family and found no pathogenic alleles except for one which increases risk for autoimmunity.
@machetedonttweet1343
Here's a good real-world reason to opt out of all Genetic Sharing. A friend of mine took the test and opted into the "Relatives Match" feature. Turns out he had a 30 yo daughter he knew nothing about"(she took the test too and contacted him). He is trying to include her in his extended family. But he is living under the threat of "Back Child Support" in his young senior years from a one-night stand.
@Ahmscgc
I’m a genetic counselor and love the points you make in this video! Many of these concerns you mentioned in the video are central to why my field exists - genetic information is complicated and can have lots of implications that people may not consider. Genetic testing isn’t right for everyone and once you know something, you can’t “un-know” it. I highly encourage people to talk with a genetic counselor and/or a geneticist before making any decisions about genetic testing!
@IzzyKDNA
Love this video. In a cardiovascular genetic counselor in NYC and I have noticed that these tests lead to so much confusion and misinformation about risk for complex diseases. They can be fun but definitely cannot replace medical genetic testing
@awestphal40
My aunt is a state prosecutor. She told me to never ever ever do one of these because of government overreach and privacy.
@DoctorMike