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19Mar 2019 by Compare DNA Kits 2 Comments

11 Times DNA Testing Changed Lives

When it comes to DNA testing, the results can be life-changing. Millions of people are now getting direct-to-consumer top notch DNA tests, by companies like 23andMe or Ancestry.com and many of them are finding surprises within their genome. Some of these are good surprises, while other times people wish they had never taken the DNA test. Below are some of the most interesting stories to have surfaced. Reader Beware! Not all of these stories have a happy ending…. Woman Finds “Dad” is Not Biological Father https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/an-innocent-dna-test-changed-my-whole-world-20181022-p50b87.html Rose Mayeux took a DNA test to learn more about her Italian heritage. To her surprise, the test came back saying she had no Italian heritage whatsoever. Thinking the results were incorrect, she had her brother take the test. His results came back…

16Mar 2019 by Compare DNA Kits 1 Comment

23andMe Polygenic Risk Scores

science

When it comes to innovating genetic testing, 23andMe is always at the forefront of science. Not only were they one of the first companies on the genetic testing scene, but they were one of the first to get their breast-cancer screening test approved by the FDA. The company is partially owned by Google Ventures, Google’s start-up investment wing. This gives 23andMe a technological edge over other companies, and they are often the first on the market with a new offering. Recently, 23andMe started offering a polygenic risk score for diabetes, offering another thing to differentiate it in the 23andMe vs Ancestry battle and marking it as a top leader in both ancestry testing and health testing. [su_box title="Recent comment from the UK Health Minister" style="soft" title_color="#262424"]The UK Health Minister has…

11Feb 2019 by Compare DNA Kits 1 Comment

The Truth about Genetics and Disease: Is it Nature, or Nurture?

science

The FDA recently approved 23andMe’s genetic test which screens for breast cancer. The move was heralded as a great advancement in the field of direct-to-consumer genetic testing. Many people purchased the test, hoping it would reveal whether or not they would get breast cancer. However, in its approval, the FDA also mentioned some serious limitations of the test. For one, it only tests for 3 of thousands of known mutations. If any other spot in the BRCA gene is mutated, the test would show negative when you actually do have a higher risk. But more importantly than that, the BRCA mutations they screen for are “rarely found” in the general population. Even those of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, who experience a higher rate of the mutation, only find it in around…

07Dec 2018 by Compare DNA Kits No Comments

Home DNA Paternity Test

Genealogy, science

Can Direct-to-Consumer Genetics Tests Provide Accurate Results? First, How Does Paternity Testing Work? Paternity testing, like other forms of familial testing (sibling, maternal, etc.) is a relatively straightforward practice. Other forms of DNA analysis rely on understanding the genes involved and their relationship with disease. In paternity testing, scientists are simply checking to see if the DNA matches in various locations. In this article we will focus on home DNA paternity tests. To understand how this process can identify someone as a direct family member, you must understand a little bit about genetics. A human starts as two different cells, the sperm and the egg. Inside of these cells is exactly half of the DNA necessary to create a human. Both cells contain 23 chromosomes, or parts of DNA. Half Mom,…

05Dec 2018 by Compare DNA Kits No Comments

Autosomal testing vs Mitochondrial testing (mtDNA) vs Y-Chromosome testing

Genealogy, science

When going over your options for a direct-to-consumer DNA test, the options can be overwhelming. Between the different companies available, testing methods used, and services provided, it can be hard to choose a company and plan with any confidence. In terms of testing methods alone, there are several approaches different companies take to analyze your genetics. In general, companies tend to analyze up to 3 different parts of your genetic code. The majority of companies test your Autosomal Chromosomes. These chromosomes represent a majority of your DNA. They account for 22 of the 23 chromosomes. The 23 chromosome is your Sex Chromosome, and contains two forms: X and Y. Females have a pair of X chromosomes, while men have an X and a Y. Because the Y is always passed down…

03Dec 2018 by Compare DNA Kits 1 Comment

Genetics Terms: Things to Know about DNA Test Results

science

Before you order a DNA Test or whole-genome analysis, you should probably beef up on some of those biology terms you have long forgotten. But worry not! This guide will lead you through all the terms you need to understand when getting the results from a direct-to-consumer genetic home test. First Things First, What is DNA? DNA is shorthand for deoxyribonucleic acid. This molecule holds all of the information your cells need to survive and reproduce. DNA is stored as chromosomes, and humans have 23 unique chromosomes. Each of these chromosomes contains the information necessary to produce various proteins, which work together in immensely complex networks to form a functioning body. On each chromosome, there are multiple genes. Each gene is made of small molecules called nucleotides. There are only…

01Dec 2018 by Compare DNA Kits No Comments

Criticism about Home Genetic Testing

Genealogy, Privacy

As much as direct-to-customer home DNA kits have been sparking interest across the globe, there has been rising criticism about them. The criticism is normally not geared at one individual company (while 23andMe are taking most the heat being the biggest and running into trouble with the FDA in the past) but rather about the concept of offering DNA kits to people and supply information which is either not accurate enough or cannot be used clinically. Everyone loved 23andMe and other home genetic test kits as long as they focused on novelty; when marketing started focusing on personal DNA kits as a diagnostic tool, that's when all hell broke loose. Critical articles about home genetic testing Below you can find the most prominent articles relating to genetic home tests. [su_box style="glass"…