DNA Tests

[Gray222]

Has anyone done one?

I did a cheapy one locally and the results were expected but low on the info scale.

I was researching and 23andme (https://www.23andme.com/) seems the best in terms of details (medical/location from/etc), better rated and review than AncestryDNA.

[Welder]

My wife had one done to figure out the amount of Native American DNA she had. It also revealed some other unexpected types of DNA which have kept me in joking source material for awhile. Luckily I haven't had mine checked.

[Carnifex]

I had a 23andme done for medical reasons. In my particular situation it's provided me with invaluable information about certain SNPs. I dont really recall what information was given about family history and location. I did have a lot of Neanderthal in me though.

[Nephrology]

I had a 23andme done for medical reasons. In my particular situation it's provided me with invaluable information about certain SNPs.

This is the best/maybe only good reason to get one of these done...

I can post a long explanation about why these tests are generally not worth the money if anyone is curious but the short answer is that they rely on associational relationships between a given variant in a given section of your genome (aka SNPs) and people of certain backgrounds, etc. i.e. SNP123ABC is often found in African Americans, while SNP456DEF is often found in Ashkenazi Jews, etc...)

This stuff is often over-interpreted (especially when they use to say something ridiculously specific like you are 22% Scottish Highlander or 17% Kiowa Native American) but there are certain diseases that are very well linked to certain SNPs, in which case they can be of real utility. Otherwise it's kind of like reading tea leaves... you can interpret anything however you want and you aren't necessarily "wrong," but you aren't "right" by most people's understanding of the term either.

[Gray222]

This is the best/maybe only good reason to get one of these done...

I can post a long explanation about why these tests are generally not worth the money if anyone is curious but the short answer is that they rely on associational relationships between a given variant in a given section of your genome (aka SNPs) and people of certain backgrounds, etc. i.e. SNP123ABC is often found in African Americans, while SNP456DEF is often found in Ashkenazi Jews, etc...)

This stuff is often over-interpreted (especially when they use to say something ridiculously specific like you are 22% Scottish Highlander or 17% Kiowa Native American) but there are certain diseases that are very well linked to certain SNPs, in which case they can be of real utility. Otherwise it's kind of like reading tea leaves... you can interpret anything however you want and you aren't necessarily "wrong," but you aren't "right" by most people's understanding of the term either.

I got that from the first local test I did.

Both my wife and I are 100% of our respective areas DNA types. When I did the cheap one it game me a 99.95% Eastern EU which was like uhhh duhhh but nothing medical.

What if anything is better to do for trying to figure out possible medical issues down the line in this fashion other than family history?