23andMe

[Peas n carrots]

So as gift to my husband (who is into genealogy) I got him a kit. I doubt there will be too many surprises with his ancestry, but it will be interesting to see if his birth defect is genetic or not - which will be good to know if we do decide to have kids.

 

Has anyone done the DNA test? Did you have any surprises (pleasant or unpleasant?)

 

Now I'm wishing I would have got myself a kit too. Maybe I'll order one next time I get paid. I'm sure my genealogy results could be interesting, as I'm such a mutt.

[crazyforkate]

There's a thread on it further down on the page. I did it and LOVED it, especially at such a low price. I got one for my birthday, then turned around and gave one to my mother for hers.

The health information alone can be insanely valuable - especially if you're planning to have kids. And you never know about ancestry - I'm part South Asian and North African, which I would NEVER have guessed. Maybe your husband has some background he never knew about!

If you're comfortable with finding this stuff out, go for it!

[Lainey]

I did it, and also got a kit for my dad and my grandma. I am happy I did it!

[Peas n carrots]

OK so DH did the swab and sent it in. Yesterday he got his confirmation email :cracking-up: It will be interesting to see what kind of surprises he might have. Through his own work he has traced probably 3/4 of his ancestry to Ireland and the rest to Scotland, with a few ppl in England (though those guys have a very traditionally Scottish surname so it's possible they came from Scotland before records were created).

On the reports do they tell you from approximately which country your ancestors came from? For example, will it tell you "Dutch" as opposed to "Northern European?" I'm curious how far down they can drill in where your family came from.

[GeoBQn]

I'd be interested in the ancestry information, but I'm worried about the health information. I'm scared that if I were to find out that I'm predisposed to something like, say, Parkinson's Disease (which my grandfather and uncle had), I would mentally shutdown and never recover.

[Lainey]

OK so DH did the swab and sent it in. Yesterday he got his confirmation email :cracking-up: It will be interesting to see what kind of surprises he might have. Through his own work he has traced probably 3/4 of his ancestry to Ireland and the rest to Scotland, with a few ppl in England (though those guys have a very traditionally Scottish surname so it's possible they came from Scotland before records were created).

On the reports do they tell you from approximately which country your ancestors came from? For example, will it tell you "Dutch" as opposed to "Northern European?" I'm curious how far down they can drill in where your family came from.

They give you an estimate, and you can choose conservative, standard, or speculative. Speculative gives you the most (potential) detail.

[Lainey]

I'd be interested in the ancestry information, but I'm worried about the health information. I'm scared that if I were to find out that I'm predisposed to something like, say, Parkinson's Disease (which my grandfather and uncle had), I would mentally shutdown and never recover.

There are certain diseases for which they ask you if you want to see the results. I am not sure, but I think Parkinson's may be one of them.

[smcgrath]

Hello!

 

My name is Scott McGrath, I'm a graduate student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in Biomedical Informatics, and I'm working on my thesis. I'm looking to recruit people who have purchased a test kit from 23andMe and gotten their results back.

 

 

To start things off, I'll cut to the nitty grity, since there are some participation restrictions:

 

• 19 years or older
• Have completed the genetic screening test from 23andMe and have recieved the results
• Reside in the United States of America
• English is your primary language, or you are fluent in English

 

 

 

I would love to include people outside the US, but privacy laws and IRB restrictions on this study do limit it to people in the US, sorry.

 

 

Still with me? Here are the details:

 

 

I’m conducting a study about direct to consumer (DTC) genetic testing companies (like 23andMe) and how the results are interpreted and used by their customers. I am running a survey for people who have completed this genetic test and have received their results back. The survey will be anonymous, and no identifying information will be collected (no names, home addresses, IP addresses, or email). It will consist of 28 questions aiming to establish demographics and user experience with DTC results. In addition, I will ask you to review two genetic screening results, and answer a few questions about those results. It is estimated to take 10-15 minutes to complete the survey. If this is something you are interested in helping me with, please follow this link to the survey:

 

 

https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=137693254904

 

 

I will greatly appreciate your participation if you elect to do so. Also, if you know of others who might be interested in taking this survey, feel free to let me know, or share the link with them.

 

 

This project IRB # 507-13-EX was approved by the University of Nebraska Medical Center IRB on October 3rd 2013. Pertinent questions or concerns about the research, research participants' rights, and/or research-related injuries to participants should be directed to the UNMC IRB: irbora at unmc dot edu

(402) 559-6463

website: unmc.edu/irb

 

 

Thanks for stopping in to check this out!

[Lainey]

Awwww, I woulda done it, except I live in Canada.

[crazyforkate]

Same here.

[NellieBell]

I just ordered this, and to be honest am a bit apprehensive. I'm fairly sure I do not carry any of the breast cancer genes (but not certain) but am certain there's a family history of alzheimers. There's also a history of MI on my mother's father's side. I may need hand holding when I get the results back. :(

I'm not so interested in the genealogy aspect as I've tracked via Ancestry about as far as humanly possible. Put perhaps there will be a surprise there as well. I've got a question regarding burial records for the civil war. My gr gr grandfather was enlisted as a PVT in Company D 77 IL US INF. There's a weird story surrounding his death (he did not die in combat, but on the way home). I cannot find a record of his burial or tombstone. I've searched the sites showing the book of ordered tombstones and came up with nada. If anyone knows of a site or a person that might be able to help I would greatly appreciate it. The man was only twenty four and left behind a widow and three kids. I'd like to make sure he has a stone and that his grave is well tended.

[Lainey]

If you post on the Ancestry.com message boards, you might get someone who can help you. I posted about my great-granduncle, and a woman who works at the cemetery where he was buried answered my post. He has no stone (yet. I'm gonna get him one. But he's buried in Detroit and I live way over here in Calgary, so it's gonna have to wait).

[NellieBell]

Thanks Lainey. I realized after posting that I should've posted the civil war question elsewhere, just wasn't sure where.

[Lainey]

Even if people don't have an Ancestry account, they seem to be able to see the message boards and respond to them on some other site. I can't remember what site it is...maybe Rootsweb or something? Anyway, that really opens up the potential for someone to know what you're talking about.

[Peas n carrots]

PM me. My husband just received his results. He is in the US, but not a US citizen...will that make a difference?

[Peas n carrots]

So DH got his preliminary results back...apparently the more detailed results (mostly related to genealogy) come back in a few more weeks.

So we had some stuff that didn't surprise, and some stuff that did.

Increased risk of diabetes and alzheimers. This didn't surprise us as it seems most every male of a certain age in his family has it, even though none of them are obese. Also, DH's grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother all have/had dementia. Not a surprise, but interesting to know there is a genetic component to both. However, he has a lower than average risk for heart disease. So crappy pancreas/brain, but a great heart!

Surprise - he has the Cystic Fibrosis gene mutation. We have been discussing the possibility of having a family, so we have decided to make it a numero uno priority for me to do the 23andme to find out if I'm a carrier as well.

Also found out there are a couple pharma's he has genetic sensitivities to, which is important as he will be getting some surgery done in the near future.

I look forward to the ancestry results...I don't think there will be too many surprises there. They had some preliminary results...the maternal line was no surprise as it indicated the gene group as Scandinavian (I assume a lot of Scottish/Irish people have Scandinavian in their background from the Vikings). The paternal gene group was interesting...which indicated a gene group originating from Sardinia? I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all, but that was a surprise!

I look forward to doing my own test, but honestly a little bit worried now with the CF mutation. We're not gung ho about having a family, but at the same time I still want that to be an option for us if we decide we would like to have a family.

[Peas n carrots]

DH got genealogy results back and no surprises really...99% Northern European, with about 70% British/Irish, a couple percent Scandinavian, and 1% German/French. The rest was "Unspecified Northern European" which I'm not sure what that means?

Test did come back with a small trace of Native American? I have a really hard time believing there is any at all. That would mean a very, very long time ago (around the time of the discovery of the New World) someone from the Americas came into his blood line. DH has traced his family back pretty far and they are pretty much all dirt farmers that lived/died in Scotland/Ireland.

DH surprised me with my own test and it came in the mail today. I'm pretty interested in what info I will find out. Genealogy wise I'm pretty sure I'm a Heinz 57 of European ancestries. Genetics should be interesting...I imagine there will be some elevated risk of diabetes and depression.

[MamaJunebug]

Glad to find this topic. My The Spousal Unit and I have our results and while I'm understandably disappointed to learn that I can't know more about my paternal side than that it's "unspecified European" (I have no living paternal male relatives' data), we're really confounded about my TSU's results.

We know for a fact that on his dad's side, he's descended of a Native American family, and not that many generations ago. But 23andMe lists only African on his dad's side, and "east Asian/Native American" on his mom's side, in minuscule amount.

Makes all the results very suspect, in my eyes. Presuming the best about the accuracy, I do appreciate the health risks my results show, as I'm now aware of the warning signs. But given the incorrect info w/r/t my TSU's DNA, I'm exceedingly skeptical of it all!

[treemom]

Native American rarely shows up if it is not in the last generation or two.

[treemom]

You should read the boards over there MJB because they discuss a lot of these things,

[MamaJunebug]

Thanks, tm, I will go to those boards! .....not that I need something else to do online, heh-heh ..... heh-heh...... I'mOneLazySoAndSo....... ;)

[Peas n carrots]

I got my med results back, and it seems I'm blessed with pretty good genes. However I have an elevated risk of Type II Diabetes (that did not surprise me - on my paternal side nearly everyone over a certain age has it).

One thing that caught my eye was I have 4X the average risk of Celiac disease. I've had gastrointestinal issues for years...which have been thrown under the "IBS" label. My doctors have never tested for Celiac....I might go back and get that checked out. My mom and two of my sisters suffer from stomach issues as well, so I told them they should get it checked out too,

I am not a carrier of the CF gene, so that was a relief for me if DH and I do decide to have kids.

Look forward to the ancestry component. I didn't realize females couldn't have their paternal lineage traced, so I guess a gift for the old man is in order!

[MamaJunebug]

There are certain diseases for which they ask you if you want to see the results. I am not sure, but I think Parkinson's may be one of them.

It is. And Alzheimer's and the breast cancer gene.

ETA, they also indicate your chances against your population of developing any disease. At least I think that's what the numbers mean. So it can be a reassuring, or a "forewarned is forearmed" kind of thing.

[Peas n carrots]

Interesting I got a quick turn around on my ancestry results. It pretty much hit on the mark what I thought (biggest ancestry being British/Irish) but surprised not as much Eastern European (my grandad was Czech...so theoretically 25% Czech?) and I had some Southern European in there.

However, what do they mean by "non-specified" European, which takes the biggest chunk (56%)? Does that mean that the genetics aren't associated with a particular group of people?

[2xx1xy1JD]

Crazy story, but my dad's cousin, who is adopted, found his birth sibling through 23andMe. Bio sister had no idea that her mother had previously given up a child for adoption.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill ... -adoption/