<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_extra"><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Nov 27, 2013 at 10:59 AM, BillK <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:pharos@gmail.com" target="_blank">pharos@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
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It is the medical 'snake-oil' that the FDA doesn't like. And it has a<br>
lot of medical and scientific support.<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>What medical snake-oil? Do you have a specific example? 23andMe seems to be very careful about explaining exactly what one's results mean.<br>
<br></div><div>For example:<br>
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<h3 id="phenotype_title">Restless Legs Syndrome</h3>
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<p>Imagine what it would be like to crawl into bed every night,
ready to catch some much-needed Zs, only to be struck by an
irrepressible urge to move your legs as soon as you began to relax. No
matter how tired you were, instead of drifting off peacefully, you would
be compelled to get up and move around. It may sound crazy, but this is
exactly the situation people with restless legs syndrome (RLS)
experience. Though the symptoms in many people are milder, it is
estimated that about 4% of the U.S. population suffers from this
puzzling disorder.</p>
<p>The following results are based on
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<a class="" href="https://www.23andme.com/you/journal/legend2/">
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<strong>Established Research</strong> for 1 reported marker,
updated <a href="https://www.23andme.com/you/journal/restlesslegs/overview/#last_update" style="font-weight:normal" class="">July 16th, 2009.</a>
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<p>
<a href="https://www.23andme.com/you/journal/restlesslegs/howitworks/">Learn more about the biology of Restless Legs Syndrome...</a>
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<a href="https://www.23andme.com/you/journal/restlesslegs/timeline/">Major discoveries in Restless Legs Syndrome...</a>
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<img class="" src="https://23andme.https.internapcdn.net/res/img/phenotype/restlesslegs/X3wfyXJSd5hE3JKpPUGIWw_bluebed.jpg" alt="Not getting enough sleep can cause decreased concentration, impaired memory, slowed reaction times, and a weakened immune system.">
<span class="">1 of 3. Not getting enough sleep can
cause decreased concentration, impaired memory, slowed reaction times,
and a weakened immune system.</span>
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<h3>Your Genetic Data</h3>
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<a href="https://www.23andme.com/user/invitations/invite/?phenotype_id=restlesslegs" class="">» Share your health results</a>
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assuming
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ethnicity
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<div class="">and an age range of
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<div class="" id="user_demography_title">David Sill</div>
<span class=""><span class="" id="numerator_user">1.5</span> out of 100</span>
<div class=""><span class="">men</span> of <span class="" id="ancestry_user">European</span> ethnicity
who share <span class="" id="genotype_user1">David Sill</span>'s genotype
will develop Restless Legs Syndrome
between the ages of <span class="" id="age_lo_user">0</span> and
<span class="" id="age_hi_user">79</span>.</div>
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<div class="">Average</div>
<span class=""><span class="" id="numerator_average">2.0</span> out of 100</span>
<div class=""><span class="">men</span> of <span class="" id="ancestry_average">European</span> ethnicity
will develop Restless Legs Syndrome
between the ages of <span class="" id="age_lo_average">0</span> and
<span class="" id="age_hi_average">79</span>.</div>
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<div class="">What does the Odds Calculator show me?</div>
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<p>Use the ethnicity and age range selectors above to see the estimated incidence of Restless Legs Syndrome due to genetics for <span class="">men</span> with <strong><span class="" id="genotype_user2">David Sill</span></strong>'s
genotype. The 23andMe Odds Calculator assumes that a person is free of
the condition at the lower age in the range. You can use the name
selector above to see the estimated incidence of Restless Legs Syndrome
for the genotypes of other people in your account.</p>
<p>The 23andMe Odds Calculator only takes into account
effects of markers with known associations that are also on our
genotyping chip. Keep in mind that aside from genetics, environment and
lifestyle may also contribute to one's risk for Restless Legs Syndrome.</p>
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<h3 class="">Genes vs. Environment</h3>
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54
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<div style="font-size:10px">Attributable to Genetics</div>
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The heritability of restless legs syndrome is estimated to be
54%. This means that genetic and environmental factors contribute
nearly equally to differences in risk for this condition. Genetic
factors that play a role in restless legs syndrome include both unknown
factors and known factors such as the SNPs we describe here.
Environmental factors include pregnancy. Low iron levels, dialysis for
end-stage renal disease, and damage to the nerves of the hands and feet
tend to worsen the condition.
(<span style="color:rgb(0,129,198)" id="show_hide_citations">sources</span>)
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<div class="">What You Can Do</div>
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<div class=""><p>Assuming the ethnicity setting above is correct, your test results indicate you are not at
increased risk for restless legs syndrome based on your genetics. Family history and
non-genetic factors can also influence your risk, but note that this condition is fairly
rare. Below are some steps you can take to reduce your risk.</p></div>
<p><strong>Keep chronic diseases under control</strong><br>
Chronic diseases such as kidney failure, diabetes, Parkinson's, and peripheral neuropathy
can exacerbate symptoms of RLS, but managing them can reduce symptoms of RLS.</p>
<p><strong>Watch iron levels, and your intake of caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco</strong><br>
According to the <a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/restless_legs/detail_restless_legs.htm#154003237">
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke</a>, caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco
may aggravate or trigger symptoms in patients who are predisposed to develop RLS, as can
low iron levels.</p>
<p><strong>RLS can occur if you're pregnant or taking certain drugs</strong><br>
If RLS symptoms appear, they usually disappear once the pregnancy is completed or the
drug regimen is stopped.</p>
<p><strong>Learn your family medical history</strong><br>
According to the <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/restless-legs-syndrome/DS00191/DSECTION=causes">
Mayo Clinic</a>, RLS tends to run in families, especially when it occurs at an early age.
The U.S. Surgeon General's <a href="http://familyhistory.hhs.gov/fhh-web/home.action">
My Family Health Portrait</a> tool can help you assemble your family medical history.</p>
<p><strong>Connect with relevant groups</strong></p>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.rls.org">Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation</a><br>
877-INFO-RLS</li><li><a href="http://www.wemove.org/rls/">WE MOVE</a><br>
800-437-MOV2</li></ul>
<p><strong>Talk with a genetic counselor</strong><br>
A genetic counselor specializes in helping people understand
genetic disorders and genetic test results. Learn more about genetic
counseling <a href="https://www.23andme.com/you/genetic_counseling">here</a>.</p>
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<div class="">Marker Effects</div>
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<h5 class="">What does this chart show?</h5>
<p>The chart shows the approximate effects of the selected
person's genotype at the 1
reported marker.
Higher, <span style="color:rgb(240,0,64)">red bars</span> indicate
<span style="color:rgb(240,0,64)">increased risk</span> from the
average, while lower, <span style="color:rgb(56,208,11)">green
bars</span> indicate <span style="color:rgb(56,208,11)">decreased
risk</span> from the average. The light gray bars show the
maximum possible effects for the possible genotypes at the
marker.
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<p>Mouse over individual bars to view additional
information about each marker. Click on a bar to view detailed
information about that marker below. You can read more about
all markers in the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/you/journal/restlesslegs/techreport/">technical report</a>.
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<div class="">BTBD9</div>
<div class="">Marker:<a class="" href="https://www.23andme.com/you/explorer/snp/?snp_name=rs3923809">rs3923809</a></div>
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<p>The function of this gene is not yet known. Scientists do know
that it belongs to a large family of genes that encode proteins that can
influence activity levels of other genes. The SNP in this gene doesn’t
actually cause a change in the protein sequence of BTBD9. Instead, it
lies in a non-coding part of the gene where it may affect how BTBD9 is
turned on or off.</p>
<p>One group found that the A version of this SNP is
specifically associated with PLMS. Because such a large percentage of
people with RLS also have PLMS, this SNP is also a good predictor of RLS
risk. There was, however, no association of the riskier version of the
SNP in people with RLS who did not also have periodic limb movements in
sleep (PLMS).</p>
<p>The protein encoded by BTBD9 is found in many
different parts of the brain (in addition to other organs) and is
therefore a good candidate for a gene involvement in other neurological
disorders similar to RLS and PLMS. In addition, even though there is no
previously known link between BTBD9 and iron levels, the riskier version
of this SNP was has been associated with decreased iron stores in the
body.</p>
<p>The studies whose data we report as applicable to
those of "European" ancestry confirmed the association between this SNP
and RLS in samples from Germany and Canada.</p>
<p>This association has not been investigated in samples of Asian or African ancestry.</p>
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<div class="">Citations</div>
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<a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Search&db=PubMed&term=17634447">Stefansson et al. (2007)</a>
. “A genetic risk factor for periodic limb movements in sleep.” <em>N Engl J Med</em> 357(7):639-47.
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<a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Search&db=PubMed&term=17637780">Winkelmann et al. (2007)</a>
. “Genome-wide association study of restless legs syndrome identifies common variants in three genomic regions.” <em>Nat Genet</em> 39(8):1000-1006.
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<a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Search&db=PubMed&term=11340155">Collins et al. (2001)</a>
. “All in the family: the BTB/POZ, KRAB, and SCAN domains.” <em>Mol Cell Biol</em> 21(11):3609-15.
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The genotyping services of 23andMe are performed in LabCorp's
CLIA-certified laboratory. The tests have not been cleared or
approved by the FDA but have been analytically validated
according to CLIA standards. The information on this page is
intended for research and educational purposes only, and is not
for diagnostic use.
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<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
I think it is too early to be making health recommendations. We don't<br>
know enough about how our DNA affects us and how genes interact with<br>
each other. More research is required.<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>And 23andMe is contributing to that research. <br></div><div> </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
Maybe if 23andMe enhanced the genealogy side and toned down the<br>
medical side to vague 'worth asking your doctor about' hints, they<br>
might keep the FDA happy.</blockquote><div><br></div><div>I wouldn't bet on it.<br><br></div><div>-Dave<br></div></div></div></div>