Gene genie
Transform your health with DNA testing
Over the past few weeks I have made some interesting discoveries about myself – my risk of developing type-2 diabetes is 5.4 times higher than the average person; I am unlikely to be gluten intolerant; red wine is good for me (but gin and champagne are bad); I’m best suited to short bursts of high-intensity training; and I am 16 per cent Scandinavian.
Home DNA testing is set to revolutionise our understanding of ourselves – we no longer have to feel bad about why we find yoga so difficult (I am genetically inflexible) or worry about whether our unborn child will have cystic fibrosis. Today, a simple saliva sample can reveal what kind of diet or fitness regime will be most effective for you, where your ancestors came from and how likely you are to suffer a sudden cardiac arrest. The prospect is at once terrifying and empowering.
Genotyping – comparing common differences in known genes – first entered the consumer marketplace in 2006 with the birth of Californiabased company 23andMe (the name comes from the 23 pairs of chromosomes found in every human cell). It was set up by Anne Wojcicki, the ex-wife of Google founder Sergey Brin, who provided financial backing in the early stages of the start-up.
The journey the company has taken has not been without controversy. Home tests for 254 diseases and conditions were made available to US citizens but, in 2013, were banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because of concerns about a lack of accuracy. In 2015, 23andMe improved its analysis of 36 hereditary diseases and relaunched kits in the US with FDA approval.
23andMe arrived in the UK in 2014, and its home kits cost £149. Today, 80 per cent of its 1.2 million users have consented to participate in scientific research. What’s happening with all this information? In January 2015, 23andMe signed its first multimillion-dollar deal with drug company Genentech. It is now sharing anonymised data with more than a dozen pharmaceutical giants.
Other DNA companies, such IamYiam and Pure Genetic Lifestyle, which launched in the past year or so, charge more for home tests (between £387 and £1,365) but, as a consequence, promise not to farm out your data. Personally, so long as there was no connection between my name and my DNA, I
don’t take issue with the idea of crowd-sourced medicine if it is for the greater good. But it’s a question of trust that the end is ethical. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER There are about 25,000 genes in the human genome. Some of these will determine the likelihood of developing certain disorders, while others are responsible for traits as wide-ranging as alcohol flush reaction and hair curl. Genetic variations in DNA sequence can determine anything from poor eyesight to aerobic capacity. Maarten van Dijk, founder of Pure Genetic Lifestyle, says: “We want to make people happier, healthier and older.”
Gaining an understanding of your make-up can be hugely beneficial to your wellbeing. But can you trust the results? Lorena Puica, founder and chief executive of IamYiam, says: “Genetic science is a probabilistic science. Basically, what we say is that over 95 per cent of the people that have that specific gene are predisposed to hypertension, for example.” So if you know you are predisposed to coronary disease, you could start doing regular sport, give up smoking and go vegetarian.
In 2013, UK fitness trainer Matt Roberts (mattroberts.co.uk) began offering personalised training based on a person’s genetic response to nutrition and exercise. East London gym Ethos (ethos.co) has followed suit. Both partner with DNAFit (dnafit.com) to interpret 30 genes and their variants. For example, the tests look for variants in the ACTN3“power gene”common in Olympic athletes and the FTO “fat gene”, which determines how likely your body is to store saturated fat. Other sensors highlight alcohol and salt sensitivity, sports injury resilience and aerobic potential. DNAFit tests cost £99-£249 (or £49 if you have already used 23andMe, with which it collaborates), while the 100-Day Fat Burner or Muscle Builder programme is a £49 per month add-on.
Roberts says that a DNA test can show “in a snapshot exactly what it is about your body that would make training easier”. If you are not built for endurance, running a marathon will be more difficult for you than other people. He adds: “We can also establish how to programme your diet to make it that bit more productive to your needs.” Isn’t it time you reached your genetic potential?