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In the past few years, getting genetically tested has become as easy as sending in some spit in a tube.
That information can be used for everything from finding out where your family came from to figuring out if you’re predisposed to certain diseases.
Companies like AncestryDNA and 23andMe have been partnering with drug companies to try and figure out what role genetics plays in getting sick, and how it can help us get better faster.
But how much can the average consumer learn from his or her genes?
I decided to try out some tests from Kailos Genetics, a genetic-testing company based in Huntsville, Alabama, to find out.
Carmela Thompson, a genetic counselor with Genetic Discovery SF, told Business Insider that although she thinks genetic tests are great for figuring out if a person has a hereditary condition like Huntington’s disease, she wouldn’t recommend using them as the sole way to determine the best solution to treating psychiatric conditions.
At least not yet.
“As far as psychiatric conditions go, we’re not there yet and we may never be there,” said Thompson. That’s because the conditions often have multiple factors in addition to genes at play, like environmental factors, so what’s influenced by genetics isn’t quite as clear.
Genetic testing companies, like 23andMe, have run into trouble with the FDA for not getting its approval before making their genetic-health tests, which are pretty similar to the ones Kailos offers, available.
Read full, original post: I shipped my spit to a genetics company to have it tested, 23andMe style – here’s what I found
