This is the disease risk part of my genetic profile in 23andMe. I hesitated a great deal before posting it. It is normally a very private matter. In a way by posting this I am more naked than if I was posting a naked picture of myself. But then I thought, my objective in posting this is to gain more information to live as long a healthy life as possible. So if that is the case why not crowdsourcing my disease risk? This may lead to friends giving me tips on what to do about certain disease risks. So here it goes. I am open to good medical advise on it.
I know the image looks blurred but if you click on it you can see it well.
Follow Martin Varsavsky on Twitter: twitter.com/martinvars
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Peter Hodgson on October 20, 2010 ·
The question is not how this information can be used against you. Rather, what useful impact will this information have on your life, apart from alleviating your wallet of an excess of 400 euros? 🙂
Martin Varsavsky on October 20, 2010 ·
I am also an investor in 23andMe. I think as a company 23andMe has to convince governments that it is worthwhile to test people or finance the massive testing of people as society as a whole will lower its medical expenses if it provides preventive care for people with genetic predisposition. Now in countries like USA where insurance companies do not have to take anyone to be insured then it is more complicated. Because if taking this test makes you aware of disease risk that then you are forced to disclose and forced to pay more for insurance or not get insurance then people will not want to take it. In my case I am insured by the government of Spain no matter what so I don’t mind publishing my disease risks.
Jordi on October 20, 2010 ·
wow, that’s interesting. I also got the results from 23andMe and it is the first time I can compare them with actual results from someone I know in person.
gst on October 20, 2010 ·
Martin, according to the 23andme website US insurance companies are not allowed to look at your genetic information: https://www.23andme.com/you/faqwin/gina/
Pensamientos Neoliberales on October 20, 2010 ·
The question here is: did the results added some new information to you?
You already take a great deal of care for you heart (Atrial Fibrillation), given that as you mentioned in your posts your dad died of heart failure. The type 2 diabetes risk, you probably know it already from relatives that suffer the condition.
The point is, does the average Joe want to spend +400 US$ to get info he probably knows already?
Un saludo
Juan Pablo vila on October 21, 2010 ·
Gracias por compartir sus resultados, hace mucho queria ver como los dan estas empresas, y quiero comentar que llevo aumentando mi intelecto desde distintas ramas, pasando por la fisica, quimica, medicina, charlatanería pseudocientifica, pnl, psicología,filosofía occidental y oriental, todo de forma autodidacta, y desde hace 5 años estoy probando sobre mi mismo diversos mecanismos y autoanalisis (desde un punto de vista lógico, osea el funcionamiento de mi cuerpo como una máquina y los efectos que le causan las situaciones de stress a sus distintos sistemas) y le puedo decir que solo he tomado paracetamol en estos años (como único medicamento y solo por presión de mi esposa), sin antigripales, sin antibióticos, laxantes, tés, solo meditación(que aprendí de niño y es la misma en diversas disciplinas) y los resultados, son a mi entender sorprendentes, obviamente llevo una vida normal, no soy un monje, ni fanático, inclusive tengo un trabajo normal, pues soy repositor en un supermercado. Quiero que piense por favor todas estas características porque a mi entender en menos de 50 años, muchos seres humanos van a seguir mi camino, camino que , excepto que las corporaciones se pongan de acuerdo en inventar enfermedades y seguir contaminando, será el que sigan muchos humanos del futuro. Gracias, y sepa que lo admiro.
Jose on October 21, 2010 ·
How this profile is made, Martin?
Does it use only an ADN analysis or they make you questions about your parents, family and so?.
Science is discovering a lot of new stuff this days, like genes that activate based on your living habits, someone discovered that alcoholics activate genes on a “one way only” manner, you can’t go back once activated.
I think the ADN people discard as “junk” because it does not encode proteins could be something useful we don’t understand yet, maybe it is “software”, code that changes based on you life, your live history, who knows.
Cynthia Segura on October 28, 2010 ·
Hi Martin,
I don’t know if you read about Orthomolecular nutrition, probably you already have knowledge about this.
Linus Pauling was a chemist who won 2 times a Nobel Prize. His successors are Abram Hoffer and Patrick Holford in UK
I am also a very high risk person. Because my father was diabetic 2. He got diabetes at the age of 40 and died when he was 48 from a heart attack as your daddy.
I am 35 years old and even if I do lot of exercise such as power plates and cycling and I am in great shape and people say that I look as I am in my twenties. I already have problems in the peripheral blood circulation. My feet were very swollen in winter and they were always very cold. I used to get chilblains in winter which were very painful and I use to get injuries in my feet. A good Dr. in Argentina recommended me a medicine which is called Tentral. It is used for people who suffer from cardiovascular diseases.
I am a quite curious person. And I don’t like the idea to take medicines. I think in the side effects.
I am not taking this ones anymore.
Because of that I started doing some research about this. And I found these books which can answer lot of questions to you. And lower your Homocysteine level that probably is high. Did you check it? You can check it with a blood test. In Patrick Holffer book you have all the advice how to lower your Homocysteine level. A high Homocysteine level is linked to cardiovascular diseases
All of these books explain that most sicknesses are caused by wrong nutrition, pollution, deficiency of vitamins and minerals in our daily diet and that the daily recommended intake of vitamins is very low.
The World Heath organization recommends to eat between 8 to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables per day.
Some cancers are linked to the hormones and antibiotics which are injected in animals, chemicals, pesticides, additives and fertilizers.
Have a look at them:
I bought all of them at Amazon.co.uk
The 10 Secrets of 100% Healthy People: Some People Never Get Sick and are Always Full of Energy? Find Out How by Patrick Holdford
How to Live Longer and Feel Better by Linus Pauling
Orthomolecular Medicine for Everyone: Megavitamin Therapeutics for Families and Physicians by Hoffer
I am following all the advice by Patrick Holdford and Linus Pauling. And I started eating only organic food, avoid the intake of cane sugar which is linked to most of the cardiovascular diseases to keep my glycemic load low and use Herbalife health food supplements and drink lot of water
Since them I improved my energy levels considerably and my feet are not cold anymore as they used to be even in summer.It is too early to check if I will get chilblains this winter. I live in Ireland and the big winter didn’t start yet.
Hope this info can help you
The genitic test you did was this one http://www.genetic-health.co.uk/dna-test-services/premium-male.htm.
I was thinking to do this one?
All the best!
Johannes on November 3, 2010 ·
Most of the diseases which your genetic profile indicates you have a prevalence for are beyond your personal control. Please also bear in mind that your genes are only indicators for disease risks and that there are numerous layers of regulation (e.g. your proteome, glycome etc.) on top.
Looking at the diseases listed in your profile, the best medical advice is probably quite trivial: Eat healthy (i.e. control your blood sugar level -> lowers risk of Type 2 Diabetes), try to do sports regularly, control hormonal imbalances (i.e.: avoid stress, get enough sleep etc.) and try to reduce exposure to toxins (don’t smoke, don’t take drugs, less air-polluted environments).
Hope this helps!
Disclosure: I’ve studied Neurobiology & Biochemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
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acrual on October 20, 2010 ·
I’ve been thinking for long about doing this kind of test after reading Kurzweil’s super interesting Trascend book. Reading it is my only advice, though I guess you’ve done it already.
Can’t figure out how I could use all this info against you, sorry to dissapoint 😉