Has anyone used 23andme?

[Needleandthread44]

Considering getting one of their health tests for my dad. Has anyone any experience of using them? If so, what test did you get, what was involved and was it worthwhile?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

I've done 23andme!

Don't remember the same options - I thought there was just one!

Don't expect too much! I haven't found out anything health-wise of great significance. But in some ways, even that has had its interest.

If you are looking for anything specific, check before you buy. They have changed what is included a few times.

The closest relative I've seen is a 3rd cousin who doesn't seem to want to make contact. (And I don't think I do either!)

The actual test was simply spitting - tedious but not difficult.

In a few years, we can expect wider availability of whole genome sequencing. Currently not easy to find a reliable service and rather expensive (towards £1000). And you might not want it!

But I am, overall, happy I did it.

[Panda_26]

I agree It's not great , you don't learn much . I went on to do lifecode GX which is so much better. You also get a 30 min consultation to talk through your results and learn exactly what the genetic implications are on your health!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Have just (last few minutes) found a site which lists the DNA tests available.

DNA Testing Choice is a news and reviews site for the DNA tests you can take at home. We look at the latest genetic research from around the world and discuss the DNA tests that these advances could give rise to. We also debate the social, ethical and legal issues that the DNA testing market will face in the coming years.

If you’re interested in learning more about the DNA tests you can buy to take at home, or reading about the latest developments in DNA research, or simply to take part in the debate; this site is for you!

We put this site together because DNA testing seems to be quite a confusing area. There are lots of companies that provide DNA tests, some own their own laboratory, most don’t. Some providers will send your sample to New Mexico for processing, whereas others process right here in the UK. There also seems to be many weird and wonderful names for the types of DNA tests you can buy. We’re hoping to make the market less confusing for you, and although genetics is a complex area, we think a lot can be done to explain DNA testing better.

dnatestingchoice.com/

They have UK and USA options. But I imagine at least some of the companies will provide tests elsewhere.

Initial impression is quite good - it certainly lists test companies I've never seen - and I have searched for whole genome sequencing several times.

To my way of thinking, unless you want to avoid finding out more than you can cope with, the whole genome approach is so much less expensive per SNP (or however else you measure coverage) that is is the obvious choice. Of course, some of the highly focussed tests might make it easier to interpret as they provide the specific information to do so. And doing a full sequence can be pretty expensive in terms of total cost.

Absolutely whatever you choose, make sure the raw data can be downloaded so it is available to be analysed anywhere else. And download it soon - there is no guarantee that all these companies will remain accessible in future.

There might be other sites which list available tests!

FYI Panda_26

[SlowDragon Administrator]

This one is health oriented

You can have existing DNA results evaluated for about £15

(eg done by Ancestry or 23 and me)

Or start from scratch with full testing

mthfr-genetics.co.uk

Many thyroid patients have MTHFR gene issue

[bellk]

I am 67 and had parents who lived into their 80s so when I looked at this a few years back I reckoned I had already found out what health problems I was getting! Don't know how old your father is but he might feel the same.

[DandyThyro]

Check out Thyroid UK files on DNA tests. I recently looked at 23andme and decided against it as thyroid-related DNA appears to have recently been removed from its tests. I went for D102 and 6-7 other thyroid DNA tests from Blue Horizon (I think it's called the blue test). BH give Thyroid UK a 30% discount on that, and it's currently on offer as well, so it's just over £100 compared to the usual £245 or something. You get a doctor's report thrown in. I don't think it includes the MTHFR gene test but I needed specific info about my ability to convert T4 to T3 in order to proceed with my thyroid medication, and needed to go for the cheapest option. I'm still waiting for results, which take around 6 weeks.

[Starfish123]

I did 2 different tests on the same day, one was 23andme, both gave different results so I don’t know which is more accurate. One tested through the female line and the other was the whole dna. 23andme needs a male relation to give the full dna apparently, so unless my brother joins I won’t get the full picture. As you are asking for your father you won’t have that issue.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

If just wanting to test dio2 ….

Recommend to use Regenerus test

thyroiduk.org/deiodinase-2-...

regeneruslabs.com/products/...

Sample report

cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...

[Tugun]

Hi,

It's very easy to do - a saliva test. You need to pay extra for the health aspect of of it. Also it depends on your country if they allow the extra health information. Some countries won't allow 23and me to sell the health side of it.

Not everything in the Health is covered. For example there may be many variants that contribute to a disease and not all the variants are tested so even if a carrier status or health disposition doesn't come up, it doesn't necessarily mean that you don't have an untested variant. On the plus side they cover quite a bit for carrier status (45) and there is also health predispositions (14). The traits section - dark hair / skin tone etc is a bit hit and miss.

Two health predispositions came up for me and one carrier status. All three made sense and I'm glad that I discovered them.

23and me have now started to offer more tests - at a price.

On the other side it was fun to discover our ancestry.

[Tugun]

Hi,

I just decided to check up on a few testing sites and found this comparative website which was interesting. I'm sure there are also others out there.

blog.genomelink.io/posts/wh...

[TSH110]

I got one sone years ago but the new ones do not include DIO2 gene data if that is an area of interest. I have found it very interesting and informative no close relatives on there which is a shame. I got one that did ancestry and health . It did t reveal anything alarming like a tendency towards Alzheimer’s etc, which was a relief. It’s changed hands and no doubt ones Data has a lot of value to them.

There are more health reports now but I have to upgrade (at a cost) to access them so I haven’t bothered. I’ve researched some of my raw data which is interesting. I was disappointed.to discover there is little exotic in me but I am more Neanderthal than most 🤣🤣🤣

[Tugun in reply to TSH110]

Hi,

I know what you mean! My father was basically 100% British Isles but Mum had a more extensive heritage which was very interesting.

😀

[TSH110 in reply to Tugun]

I can’t ever know if the male side is more eclectic than the female, which is a shame.

[Tugun in reply to TSH110]

Yes, we were lucky that we had a brother who also had the test done. Learning that it was on Mum's side that the variety of nationalities came from, made it easier to look into that side of our ancestors. It was also interesting to see the (very slight - less than 1%) differences in the makeup of each of the siblings. We each had all the nationalities but with minor differences in the percentage.

[TSH110 in reply to Tugun]

That’s very fascinating that the nationalities were all there in all of you. I have a few male relatives but too distant to link to despite their relevant dna being the same as my fathers, but none of them are interested in doing a test. I did ask 23& me if they would extend the linkage to male relatives other than father or brother after they confirmed that the dna would be the same. They said they’d consider it but that was years ago and nothing has changed.

An adopted friend of mine found her genetic father through 23&me when she had absolutely nothing to go on and she was very surprised to discover her true ethnicity via her father which was not 100% white British as she’d thought.

[Tugun in reply to TSH110]

What a fantastic outcome for your friend. I believe my sister might have paid for my brother to do it as an added incentive. He was a bit reluctant. I'm glad she did. I certainly thought that the differences would have come from my father's family as my grandfather was adopted.

[TSH110 in reply to Tugun]

Yes it was nothing short of a miracle!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

The other day I was reading a bit about 23andme.

The Korean person concerned was surprised by his background - which implied Chinese and Japanese relatives only a generatin or two back. The family found it difficult to believe but the person himself came to accept it and was fine.

A couple of years later, he checked again, and found that the Chinese and Japanese bits were minuscule and from many generations back.

Seems 23andme had collected many more customers so had a far greater amount of data to use. And that shifted the assessment dramatically. He found it difficult to sum up his feelings - but he had reassessed what genetic makeup really means!

[Tugun in reply to helvella]

Very Interesting! One added nationality to our list was from 1600 - 1700's so maybe it's further back than we thought.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Tugun]

Mine is extremely simple with three exceptions. Only tiny contributions, way back. But they have changed a bit from when I first checked! (Looked in the past few minutes due to this thread!)

The main parts have moved around a little and become more specific to smaller areas, but are much the same now as ever.

It used to suggest a small amount of French - but now says French and German. Of course, changes of border and movement over the borders will have had an impact. To some extent it will depend on dates they use for reference rather than genes.

The second bit used to say northern Iraq - possibly Kurd, but possibly not. (And because it has changed, I can't go back and re-check what it used to say.) Now it says Peninsular Arab - pretty much Saudi and Yemen.

The third has simply become slightly more focussed - Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and, (ironically given government policy) Rwanda. But the amount is so, so tiny it really means nothing - except to emphasise how connected we all are.

[Tugun in reply to helvella]

Hi,

Yes, it's really interesting. Mine has changed slightly as well - in the same ways you have written. It's good to know that it may be because with more contributions they are getting more specific. It was fun to know that we came from such a conglomeration of nationalities and to wonder how they met up and what their lives' journeys were like.

[Tugun in reply to Tugun]

Oh No! Just looked again. I seemed to have lost some diversity. There is no longer any Iberian Peninsula or Scandinavian! At least there are still others. However I liked the thought of a bit of Scandi and Spanish. I'd better stop looking - I might lose more!

😀