Spit in a tube and you’ll learn more about yourself than you’ve ever learned before. It’s an icky yet exciting idea. If you haven’t figured out what we’re talking about yet, we’re detailing the basic way in which a direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic test works.

Many of you have seen the commercials and news stories on genetic kits from companies such as 23andMe and others. And they’ve given millions of people hope in terms of taking control of their health. For some, these tests provide a means of reducing certain disease risks (by following certain lifestyle changes). For others, the tests offer insights on how to reach their highest physical and mental potential.

But are they as useful or safe as we’re told? More importantly, should older adults start using these DTC genetic testing kits?

The Science Behind DTC Genetic Testing Kits

In a nutshell, genetic testing involves the bloodless method of collecting saliva to read one’s DNA patterns. You spit into a tube, register your details using a barcode and then seal into a prepaid package that comes with the kit. Afterwards, you ship it off to the lab.

While you wait, scientists and researchers analyze your DNA sequencing, looking for variants and mutations (more on this later), as well as your unique genotyping. After several weeks – for 23andMe, the wait is 6-8 weeks – you will get your report which details several genetic traits, with differing levels of relevance.

Then What?

There’s the big question. For many people, DTC genetic testing kits offer interesting but non-actionable data. In fact, the reports often detail things that the recipient already knows – hair colour, eye colour, sensitivity to caffeine, chronotype (lark, night owl), and some of your ancestry (although surprises do happen).

But there is some truly useful information that comes from these kits, and such info can serve as the starting point for making positive lifestyle changes.

Practical Uses for DTC Genetic Testing Kits

• Determining drug efficiency & side effect risks – Maybe you never realized this, but your response to certain drugs depends on genes that influence your biochemistry. This is the reason why one person can respond well to a specific medicine while creating serious side effects in someone else. Reports from DTC genetic testing kits can identify drug responses (good or bad), and this can guide you when choosing certain treatments.
• Providing insights toward diet & exercise – Why is it that your cousin can eat bowl after bowl of ice cream while just a few scoops widen your waist? Or why is it that simple for some to get fit so fast? Genes. That’s not to say genes are everything, but a DTC testing kit can show you what types of foods and exercise will benefit you the most or least based on your genetic makeup.
• Some indication of disease risk – The most controversial yet sought after feature of genetic kits, risk factors point out conditions you have a slightly higher chance of getting. It does this by pointing out gene variants and mutations known to increase the risk of getting certain diseases. The purpose of knowing this is to take preventative steps to preserve one’s health.

Now there’s a disclaimer here: to retrieve much of this data, you’ll need to run your report through third-party services. Companies like 23andMe only provide what’s known as “raw data”, information that doesn’t dive into the details needed to take action.

There are several of these services out there, some of which of require a fee and often require the assistance of a medical professional to interpret. These services include Promethease (will need help from a specialist to interpret its results), DNAfeed and DNAfit.

DTC Genetic Testing Is No Crystal Ball

The science and technology behind genetic testing, although fascinating and promising, is still young. It’s clear that certain genes regulate things such as disease risk (ie. APOE e4 Alzheimer’s Disease or the BRCA genes for breast cancer), or athletic ability (ACTN3 for explosive speed and strength). What’s not yet known is how our various genes interact with each other, especially when there are mutations. One of the reasons why the risk profile for 23andMe (and other tests is so controversial) is due to the unnecessary panic it might cause.

For example, if someone learns they have an elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease, breast cancer or heart failure, they may become overly anxious. But there are two problems here:

1. The elevated risk is often only 1-2% higher (often less) than the rest of the population
2. Genetics do not guarantee that you will get a disease (lifestyle, environment and numerous other factors play a role as well)

For older adults, learning that they have an elevated risk for an age-related condition can cause significant worry. This can lead a person to make a series of abrupt changes in their lives that are unnecessary, expensive and disruptive.

The other thing to consider as well is that genetic testing kits aren’t 100% accurate. In fact, one study revealed that up to 40% of DTC test results were false positives, test results that showed elevated risk factors that weren’t actually there.

What concerns the FDA and medical professionals too, is the fact that some people will take it upon themselves to treat their own conditions with snake oil methods after seeing their results.

The Verdict On Using DTC Genetic Tests

The decision to order a DTC genetic testing kit depends on what you want to know about yourself, and what you plan to do with your results.

If your goal is to identify or prevent serious illnesses, then a DTC genetic test kit will only give you a sliver of useful information. And that little bit of potentially redundant info can put you in a state of unnecessary worry. Remember, these kits simply can’t give you enough evidence that you will get a disease, even if it says you have an elevated risk.

However, if you want to learn more about how your genetic makeup affects your body and mind, then a genetic testing kit can be a helpful tool to use. To get the most benefit from these kits, you can use the data to experiment with certain lifestyle changes to see if they make a difference in how you feel.

On that note, make sure to do so with the guidance of a registered medical professional, and don’t break certain habits your doctor has already told you to maintain.