Conditions we cover

Navigenics analyzes your DNA for genetic risk markers associated with a wide variety of important health conditions

A health investment that continues to grow

Navigenics Health Compass is an extensive, health-focused set of genetic testing services, offering genetic insights now and in the future. Our testing platform includes all of the conditions listed above, and then enables ongoing updates to bring you new genetic results for as long as you subscribe. At any step in the process, you'll be able to consult with our board-certified Genetic Counselors, health professionals who can help you understand your results and decide on next steps.

Genetic science continues to advance at a rapid rate. As new links between genetic markers and health are discovered, we add new conditions to our genetic testing services. It’s a key benefit of Health Compass: Your genetic test results will be continually updated with new health information as long as you subscribe.

Learn more about the genetic testing services offered with Navigenics Health Compass >

How we choose

We use rigorous standards for deciding which health conditions to include in your genetic test, and we focus on conditions that you can do something about. To be added to our genetic testing services, a health condition and the science behind it must meet our strict guidelines:

• The condition has to be medically relevant.
• The condition must be one that you or your doctor can act on: To delay its onset, detect it early, treat it promptly, reduce its effects – or prevent it entirely.
• Research findings from multiple well-designed studies have to show consistent, reliable, and significant association between a genetic marker and a health condition.

As a result, fewer than five in 100 of the links between genes and conditions reported in scientific research are accepted for our genetic testing services.

For instance, here are some of the traits and conditions our service does not presently assess:

• Brain cancer. While many candidate genes have been studied over the years, more research is needed on the genetic risk markers for brain tumors before they meet our standards for inclusion in our genetic testing services.
• Schizophrenia. Recent research into the genetic risk markers for this mental illness has yielded inconsistent results.
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS). Some scientists think there are many biological pathways that lead to the disease – making a scan for genetic risk markers much more challenging. Several such studies have been carried out, with inconsistent results, and currently there is nothing that can be done to prevent this progressive disease.