Best DNA Test for Health - Ancestry Test, The Medical Edition

What Can You Discover By Testing Your DNA?

DNA testing for health risks can lead to some important personal discoveries. It can have a huge impact on your life and the lifestyle choices you make in the future.

For instance, you may be able to find out if you, or your children, are at a higher risk of developing some forms of cancer or heart disease. This is down to scientific discoveries confirming that specific genes can be the cause of certain illnesses.

Recently, it was confirmed that the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene can often be held accountable for breast or ovarian cancer. DNA health testing can, therefore, help you determine if you have inherited these riskier genes.

In some cases, you can simply be a carrier of certain rogue genes, though you never develop the actual disease itself. This is the case for illnesses like Cystic Fibrosis and Sickle Cell Anemia.

When users who have carried out DNA testing for health risks identify that they are carrying unwanted genes, they can decide to use IVF if they want to have children. This way, they can ensure that embryos without those genes are used and protect their children against future illness.

On a more superficial note, DNA testing for health reasons can be invaluable if you want to unearth information about your physical makeup and looks. Your diet plans can be tailored to be as powerful as possible, or you can choose what exercise regimes will get you in the best possible shape.

It can even help point out what vitamins or medication will be most effective.

What Diseases Can Be Tested For?

DNA health testing can be used to discover a wealth of information about your predisposition for a wide range of diseases and medical conditions. DNA testing kits can also point out interesting anecdotal data about your heritage in terms of where in the world your genes have come from.

Want to track your ancestral routes?

Data tests can include:

• Ancestry Analysis
• BRCA1/BRCA2 Analysis (A person’s predisposition for these variants of Breast Cancer)
• Maternal and Paternal Lineages Analysis
• Neanderthal DNA Analysis
• Genetic Health Risks (Celiac Disease, Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease etc.)
• Carrier Status Tests (Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle Cell Anemia, Hereditary Hearing Loss etc.)
• Wellness Tests (Deep Sleep, Lactose Intolerance, Genetic Weight etc.)
• Trait Reports (Hair Loss, Sweet vs Salty Preference, Unibrow etc.)

Tests can, therefore, greatly vary in terms of how in-depth they delve into your DNA as well as the severity of findings.

It’s up to you how far you want to dig.

How To Complete a DNA Test

Medical DNA testing is far easier to complete than you might assume. Plus, absolutely none of those we recommend include the use of needles, so – luckily – there’s no pain involved.

1. Sign up and order a DNA testing kit
2. Answer the simple questionnaire provided on the website
3. Follow instructions for providing your saliva or skin sample
4. Follow the directions for sending the sample back to the company
5. Sit back and wait for your results

What Is The Accuracy of These Tests?

Obviously, people want these DNA testing kits to be accurate – otherwise, they simply are not worth the time, money or effort.

In general, it pays to investigate the previous success of the company you use.  For example, 23andMe has gained FDA approval for their kits, which is a great confidence booster for its users.

However, as with all medicine, medical DNA testing cannot be 100% accurate all of the time. In particular, these tests can only stress that you are prone to a type of gene mutation. They cannot confirm it. Many use these testing kits as a starting out point and then seek confirmation from a doctor in the form of a blood test.

Best DNA Test for Health

We’ve examined a large variety of DNA “testing for health” risk kits to help determine the best DNA test for health reasons, and we evaluated the kits with a number of factors in mind.

• Number of diseases tested
• Waiting time for kit delivery
• Ease of use
• Waiting time for results
• Extra minor health tests included

Here’s what we found:

#1 Vitagene

Vitagene kits arrive quickly in the mail, as do the results. In fact, your results report arrives back in just a month after submitting their swab test. It’s an easy test to use, that gathers accurate data that can be useful for leading a healthier lifestyle. It’s not suitable for those wishing to identify predispositions to specific diseases, however.

Pros:

• 99.9% accurate
• Inexpensive
• Quick results

Cons:

• No telephone support
• Results report is overwhelming
• Have to choose between 10 tests

Price:

• $49 for the Health DNA analysis report
• $79 for the Health+Ancestry DNA analysis report

For more information on Vitagene features, read our extensive Vitagene review.

Get New Angle of View on Your Health, With Vitagene Testing Kit

#2 23andMe

23andMe offers a medical DNA testing service which has been hailed as one of the best DNA tests for health on the market. This is due to the extensive and exhaustive tests that the company carries out to give a complete picture of its applicants’ DNA.

The service it provides, along with the results it generates, make its product the one to beat. Plus it is the only test on the market that is approved by the FDA, which really makes it stand out, especially when it comes to pinpointing the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. It is so comprehensive that it is worthwhile going through the results with a healthcare professional.

Pros:

• One off cost
• Robust privacy safeguards
• Genetic disease detection
• FDA Approved

Cons:

• Expensive compared to competitors
• No live chat function
• Large saliva sample required

Price:

• $199 for the Health+Ancestry DNA analysis report (including BRCA1/BRCA2 analysis)

For more information on 23andMe features, read our extensive 23andMe review.

Check You Health and Ancestry, With 23andMe Testing Kit

#3 HomeDNA

This is the test to take if you are more interested in beefing up your family tree than carrying out a DNA test for health risks. In comparison to its competitors, HomeDNA’s kit is lacking in information when it comes to explaining its users’ genetic makeup so it is not the one to use if you need to find out about a predisposition for a disease or illness in your family. What it does provide you with is interesting information about where your family has come from and where your roots originated.

Pros:

• Free shipping is available
• Easy to use- you only need to do a cheek swab
• Excellent ancestry information – including migration patterns

Cons:

• A little pricey, though they do run pricing specials
• Lacks a large amount of DNA and genetic results

Price:

• $99 for HomeDNA Food & Pet Sensitivity DNA analysis report
• $119 for HomeDNA Healthy Weight DNA analysis report
• $99 for HomeDNA Skin Care DNA analysis report

#4 24Genetics

The range of the DNA test provided by 24Genetics covers is eye-watering. They analyze 700,000 genetic markers which cover over 200 diseases. The level of detail that is provided to users creates one of the most comprehensive reports that can be found on the market. For those that want to find out if their genes make them predisposed to diseases like Parkinson’s, Diabetes or Celiac as well as many forms of cancer, this is a great DNA testing kit to try. Additionally, the company helps you find suitable medication by testing your DNA for the most effective drugs available for you specifically.

Pros:

• Covers a wide range of diseases
• Personal medicine advice
• Comprehensive results report

Cons:

• No timeline for when results will arrive
• Some terms and conditions are written in Spanish only (!)

Price:

• $199 for Health DNA analysis report

Check You Health From Different Angle, With 24Genetics

#5 EasyDNA

EasyDNA offers a wide range of tests and even goes on to allow customers to test their pets’ DNA, a unique touch offered by the company. There are a number of health tests that help you understand what is best for you in terms of diet and fitness, skincare or dietary intolerances. It also tests for more serious diseases and your predisposition to them. Its resulting report is lengthy but clearly laid out and easy to comprehend.

Pros:

• Ease of use
• Great customer service
• Wide range of diseases tested

Cons:

• Results can take 8 weeks
• Tests are priced individually

Price:

• $199 for the genetic predisposition test (if you would like to add lactose or celiac disease to the test, you will need to purchase these results separately.)

Conclusion

DNA testing for health risks can be an illuminating and interesting experiment to carry out. It can also be helpful for those who want to know about any carrier genes in their DNA or predispositions to some incredibly debilitating diseases. This relatively new field in retail has enabled some to make key choices when it comes to their lifestyle and their approach to medical care.

The best kits are the ones that are easy to use, but also churn out data that is exhaustive and comprehensive and lay it out in an easily understandable way.

While some variation in price, the general rule of thumb is that you tend to get what you pay for. Plus, it is a good idea to be aware of some services that run on a subscription basis so that costs can add up in future.