How to Choose a DNA Test for Diseases
This is the last article in Sequencing's Education Center - Genetic Testing for Diseases. This section covered what genetic testing is and how it helps prevent diseases by identifying risks. It also contained information on what is a genetic disease, what diseases can be detected through genetic testing, carrier screening (prenatal genetic screening), and genetic testing during pregnancy. In this article, you will learn how to choose the best DNA test for diseases.
Genetic Testing Identifies Risks for Diseases
You are interested in knowing if you are predisposed to any diseases. DNA testing is an effective way to do this, but with so many available online these days, you may be lost in which one you should choose. The good news is that you are on the right path when it comes to choosing a DNA test for diseases because not all of them will give you the results you are expecting.
How to Choose a DNA Test for Diseases
Genetic testing is an effective way to identify gene mutations that could lead to a genetic disease. While family history is a good indicator of risk, it is not as trustworthy as a test of your DNA.
The body is made up of cells and those cells contain DNA. DNA is made up of chemicals:
- Adenine
- Thymine
- Cytosine
- Guanine
A, T, C, and G are the four bases whose order spells out your genes. All of the DNA in a single cell would stretch about six feet if it were uncoiled. A DNA sample gives the laboratory the material it needs to read those sequences.
There are a few different types of DNA tests on the market today. There are basic ones that provide just surface information. For instance, 23andMe, MyHeritage, and AncestryDNA only test for ancestry information. They know what data to pull out of DNA to identify ancestry. Along with that data, there's health information that can be seen. Predisposition to some diseases and health concerns may be included. It is not a lot of health information or detail, but many people find it to be interesting.
To put the different types of DNA tests into perspective, consider this:
Sites such as 23andMe and AncestryDNA test less than .01% of the genome.
For the most complete DNA test for diseases, clinical grade whole genome sequencing is available. This test reads 100% of your DNA across over 30,000 genes and provides results on the risk of over 15,000 conditions.
Learn More: Genetic Testing for Disease
How to Know Which DNA Test for Diseases Is Right for You
Choosing a DNA test for diseases depends on how much you want to know. If you want basic genetic information then you can choose a site like FamilyTreeDNA. However, if you want more comprehensive information on disease risk, choose a DNA test that geneticists use - like the clinical-grade whole-genome sequencing one.
Read about our DNA test for diseases. After receiving our DNA testing kit, swab your cheek and send in your DNA sample. We will upload the raw data to our secure and confidential database so you can use it with any of our analysis apps including our Next Gen Disease Screen to identify genetic risk for over 15,000 conditions.
Special Information for Those Trying to Conceive (TTC) or Expectant Parents
Genetic testing for diseases is available for people who are trying to conceive (TTC) and for those who are pregnant. You can learn more about carrier screening or prenatal genetic screening if you are not yet expecting, or read Genetic Testing During Pregnancy if you are pregnant.