Health and Genetics
The most advanced countries in healthcare, which lead the rest, prevention is vital. You no longer go to the doctor to cure diseases; you go to prevent them. And in that, genetic information is paramount.
Your genetic information is unique and therefore, different from that of any other person. It is the reference map that modern health professionals use to help you make the best decisions and stay healthy.
COVID19 and health system
Due to the strong impact caused by COVID19 pandemic, the global health system has accelerated its awareness of the importance of prevention. It is precisely in situations such as this that prevention is essential. To this end, genetics has been entering the health equation with a critical message for years. Getting a blood test is no longer enough. Although it is not yet widespread in Spain, some countries have long since realized this and have already integrated genetics into their health prevention equation (1, 2).
24Genetics Objective
24Genetics aims to help each person make the best decisions for their health and well-being. How? For example, we analyze a wide range of pathologies and characteristics through the health test with the information obtained from more than 700,000 genetic markers.
One of the sections presented in the health report is that of complex diseases. It analyses a wide range of pathologies based on international genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Our algorithms establish genetic predispositions to a wide variety of conditions; a confirmed technique with proven usefulness in a large number of scientific reviews (3).
Cancer and Prevention
With each passing year, more information becomes available about cancer. On several occasions, the actual metrics on the prevalence of genetic mutations have been questioned. Recently a study published that one in eight people carried a mutation in cancer, a statistic far above the official estimate (4). For this reason, the multidisciplinary team at 24Genetics decided some time ago to devote an exclusive section to the analysis of oncogenes (5).
Pharmacogenetics and Health
With the evolution of the studies, 24Genetics developed the pharmacogenetics report. Knowing your propensity to correctly assimilate an extensive list of drugs prescribed in specific situations is an additional guarantee of improved treatment results. It is a fact that the use and consumption of drugs do not work equally well in all people. Precisely, this is what this area of knowledge has been studying for decades (6). I.e., In the United States, it is now known how the response to over 200 drugs varies according to the specific genetic profile (7). The 24Genetics test already includes a list of drugs that show the possible pharmacogenetic response depending on the DNA.
Week after week, new results from a significant variability of topics around genetics (Figure 1). Given this reality, the commitment of 24Genetics is clear: review and scrutinize the maximum to be able to exploit and further improve the different reports. https://24genetics.es/prueba-adn
Genomics and biomedicine are gradually bringing together synergies in hospitals and clinics. And in terms of decades will be part of the routine clinical analysis (8 ). 24Genetics is part of this new paradigm.
- (1) Lampret, B., et al. 2020. Expanded newborn screening program in Slovenia using tandem mass spectrometry and confirmatory next-generation sequencing genetic testing, Slovenian Journal of Public Health, 59(4), 256-263. doi: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2020-0032
- (2) National Institute of Health, United States of America. 2020. https://allofus.nih.gov/
- (3) Dai, J., et al. Identification of risk loci and a polygenic risk score for lung cancer: a large-scale prospective cohort study in Chinese populations. Lancet Respir Med. 2019 Oct;7(10):881-891. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(19)30144-4. Epub 2019 Jul 17. PMID: 31326317; PMCID: PMC7015703.
- (4) Samadder, N.J., et al. Comparison of Universal Genetic Testing vs Guideline-Directed Targeted Testing for Patients With Hereditary Cancer Syndrome. JAMA Oncol. Published online October 30, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.6252
- (5) 24Genetics. 2020. https://24genetics.com/docs/Salud-24Genetics.pdf
- (6) Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC®). 2020. https://cpicpgx.org/
- (7) Table of Pharmacogenetic Associations. 2020. Food and Frug Administration of the United States of America (FDA). https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/precision-medicine/table-pharmacogenetic-associations
- (8) Green, E.D., Gunter, C., Biesecker, L.G. et al. Strategic vision for improving human health at The Forefront of Genomics. Nature 586, 683–692 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2817-4
