Myth:

If I know my family's health history, I don't need a genetic test.

Truth:

Family history is only one part of your health future. For example, most cases of breast cancer are found in women who have no family history.

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Jim

This single father of two found his results were easy to understand - and followed up with a Genetic Counselor to learn more about reducing his risks.

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“Health is extremely important to me – more important to me now than it’s ever been. I’m a single father, so it’s especially important to me that I live as long and as healthfully as I can. That’s important to my boys as well – they’ve made that very clear to me. So we made the decision together that I would get genetic testing to see whether I’m at increased risk.”

As a single parent, Jim felt an extra responsibility to take care of his health. He and his sons wanted to know about his risk of inherited diseases so they could plan for their future.

“One of the reasons that I was so interested in having genetic testing is my family history. Having someone in your life with Alzheimer’s is a really tough thing. Being able to find information about my genetic risk factors that would allow me to take an active role in managing my health was very appealing to me.”

The results of Jim’s tests were surprising.

“In my particular case, there are no special risks. My risks for all the conditions that I was tested for are actually lower than the general population’s.”

The peace of mind that Jim gained after receiving his results was priceless. However, he still had questions about the connection between his genetics and his health.

“I found it really easy to get my results, to understand them, and then to follow up with a Genetic Counselor. She made it very clear to me what steps I could take to lower my risk - and how various lifestyle changes might help me.”

In the end, Jim got the satisfaction of knowing that he can take steps to further reduce his risk. He also had the pleasure of knowing that he is among the first people to benefit from personalized medicine.

“This is really step one in truly personalized medicine – where medicines and treatments are developed based on a specific understanding of my genetic makeup. And I’m happy to be in on the ground floor of that.”

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