HOME geneVIEW Service Intro to DNA Q and A Signup FREE! Introduction to DNA     What you need to know about Genetic Testing   When you request a genetic testing kit from geneVIEW, you will receive a cotton swab that will be swiped inside your cheek and mailed to our lab in the envelope provided. The lab will analyze your saliva, and post the results in your private wellness360 account.     What you learn from Genetic Testing   When you send your saliva to a lab, it is analyzed for markers, or signs, that help identify genes that might be related to different diseases. Some diseases are simple mutations, like sickle cell anemia. Others, like heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's are more complex.     DNA Basics   DNA, genomes…what does it all mean? The human body is made up of 20,000 genes that make up each unique individual. They determine whether you’ll be tall or have green eyes, and whether or not you are prone to certain diseases. Genes are chains of DNA made up of thousands of simple molecules, each of which contains information on how to make a protein. Proteins are complicated: they can be as different as hormones (like insulin, which regulates blood sugar) or enzymes (helping to digest food) and can even turn other genes on or off. DNA chains are strings of four simple molecules (ATGC, called nucleotides), but their order, or sequence, determines the information they contain. Taken altogether, a person’s DNA is called his or her genome.     Results   While scientists work to decode more of the human blueprint, genetic testing allows us to peek at ways we differ from others. These differences are called SNPs (say “snips”). It’s short for “single nucleotide polymorphism,” a variation when only one nucleotide (ATCG) in the genome differs (e.g. AAGCCTA to AAGCCCA) between members of a species, in our case humans. Some of the most useful SNPs help us learn what kinds of diseases we may be more likely to develop in our lifetimes. Our test screens for One Million SNPs.     What if my results are Positve?   This may confirm a diagnosis, show that you are at an increased risk of developing a disease sometime in your life, or that you are a carrier for a disease. It does NOT guarantee that you will get the disease or that you will develop a severe case. However, you might find out that you have a genetic marker for a hereditary disease that you may want to warn other family members about.     What if my results are Negative?   This means that the lab found nothing abnormal. A negative result can also mean that the test missed the SNPs associated with a certain disease. Keep in mind that there is more work to do in mapping out the human genome. Not all diseases have been found to have markers at this date. As more is discovered, the information may have an impact on how your test results should be interpreted.     Interpreting the Test Resuts It’s important that you talk to a doctor or genetic counselor about your results. We recommend that you schedule an appointment and bring both your geneVIEW test and a printout of your wellness360 Health Risk Assessment with you to the appointment. Genetics, family background, medical history and lifestyle all have an effect on your health. Once you determine where to concentrate your health efforts, our other wellness360 services will be there to support your efforts.     What about Privacy?   The wellness360 website is private and secure. We never share personal information about our members with insurance companies, employers or advertisers. Never.       NEWS   February 13, 2008: flexSCAN Announces free Genetic Testing -- geneVIEW February 11, 2008: flexSCAN files From 14(c) Announcing Pending Name Change to Aperture Health, Inc.     DID YOU KNOW THAT   Genetic testing can... Determine the presence of an altered gene, but not whether the symptoms will ever actually appear.     Genetic Testing can... Identify an increased risk of developing a disease, but not when symptoms will start, what will occur first or how severe the condition will become.   Genetic testing can... Help with life planning, such as whether or not to have children, reveal unexpected information and be relevant to other family members.
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