Three DNA Tests Give Three Different Results
23andMe said my most elevated risks — about double the average for women of European ethnicity — were for psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis, with my lifetime odds of getting the diseases at 20.2 percent and 8.2 percent. But according to Genetic Testing Laboratories, my lowest risks were for — you guessed it — psoriasis (2 percent) and rheumatoid arthritis (2.6 percent).
For coronary heart disease, 23andMe and G.T.L. agreed that I had a close-to-average risk, at 26 to 29 percent, but Pathway listed my odds as “above average.”
In the case of Type 2 diabetes, inconsistencies on a semantic level masked similarities in the numbers. G.T.L. said my risk was “medium” at 10.3 percent, but 23andMe said my risk was “decreased” at 15.7 percent. In fact, both companies had calculated my odds to be roughly three-quarters of the average, but they used slightly different averages — and very different words — to interpret the numbers. In isolation, the first would have left me worried; the second, relieved. (More in the NYT)
Looks like DNA testing has a long way to go, hopefully we can work the kinks out.
I’ve heard a lot of stories like this. The accuracy is beyond suspect. Many people receive information that is not only wrong, it isn’t even close.
You’ll get different results based on what genes you look at. For many genetic diseases, more than one gene plays a role in your likelihood for acquiring a certain disease.
Because you’re not getting your entire genome sequenced with one of these tests, you aren’t going to get 100% accurate results.
You have to take these tests with a grain of salt.
Just a grain of salt? Sounds like a whole mound of it.
I hope these tests come with a disclaimer about that at least.
Soon we will be able to get our entire genome sequenced for a few hundred dollars, but until then we’re stuck with these commercialized, inaccurate tests.
I am curious as to where these companies get their averages. Are these numbers relative to other Americans or relative to every one in the world? For example, Americans have extremely elevated cholesterol levels compared to almost any other country. So, even if your cholesterol is high, an American doctor will tell you that you have low cholesterol as long as its lower than that of the average American.
Regardless of how effective these are now, this a good step towards people being able to take control of their own health care.
Exactly. That is the most important step to bringing down costs and improving quality. If we enable people to be active in their own care, we better off.
*we are better off