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Premium Male
review on 27 January 2014
by Craig Macpherson
At a Glance
Summary
In summary, the ‘Premium Male’ test from Genetic Health is the best genetic predisposition test on the market today. The personal service I received was excellent and the ‘face to face’ consultation to discuss my results and questions was very reassuring. I was also impressed that a scientific study had been referenced for every analysis and recommendation, giving me confidence in the results. This test is expensive but excellent value for money considering what you get.
Full Review
Genetic Health were offering several types of DNA test: Premium genetic predisposition tests for men and women, an 'obesity, diabetes and weight loss' test, a nutrition test, and even a test to establish your response to certain medications. I decided to take the premium test which would indicate my genetic predisposition to suffering with a range of diseases later in life.
Product Expectations
I was told the test would cover more than 45 genetic variations and evaluate my risk of prostate cancer, thrombosis, osteoporosis, metabolic imbalances of detoxification and chronic inflammation. It would also evaluate my risk profile for the most common cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and stroke.
There was a limited amount of information on the website and I was invited to complete a form to arrange a phone consultation prior to ordering. The site advised that if I decided to go ahead with the test, I'd be able to discuss my results ‘face to face’ with the experts who'd answer my questions. I felt this was a great feature.
Ordering Experience
A few days after completing the form I spoke with an advisor. I was told that risk estimates would be given for certain diseases where I could change my lifestyle to reduce the risk. I requested to be tested for my predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease as well, and after making sure I understood the emotional impact this result might have, the advisor agreed to include it.
The advisor I spoke with was very sensitive to my requirements and I felt he described the test and its limitations very responsibly. A few days after making the payment over the phone I received the testing kit in the post.
The documents in the kit were extremely professional and filled me with a great deal of confidence. I simply had to provide a cheek swab sample and a few days after sending this off, I was sent confirmation that it'd been received.
The Results
Eight weeks later I received my results as three PDF files attached to a personal email. There was a personal report, a scientific report, and a nutrition report.
The personal and nutrition reports went through each gene that had been analysed, and the genetic variations that had been identified. The scientific report went into the genetic variations in more detail, and cited the scientific studies that had been used to make the analysis.
Tables were used to summarise the findings for each gene, and a guide to interpreting the table was provided (shown below).
A guide to interpreting the summary table for each gene.
The personal and nutrition reports discussed the effects of each genetic variation, and I learned which of my genes are contributing to my disease risk, which are affecting how I metabolise certain drugs, and which are exerting a protective effect! The personal and nutrition reports also contained lifestyle recommendations to help me mitigate the negative effects of my genes.
There were many conditions that I was shown not to be predisposed to, but I was more interested in the diseases that I was at greater risk of suffering with.
Results Section: Bone Health
I was shown that my risk of osteoporosis was significantly increased, 37% greater than average. I was told bis-phosphate therapy could be used to reduce this risk by improving my bone mineral density, however, it was indicated that my predisposition meant this therapy would be less effective for me. It was recommended that I ingest plenty of calcium – at least 1 gram per day – as this will aid bone regeneration. My bone health summary is shown below.
My bone health summary.
Results Section: Prostate Screening
The report also showed I have a moderately increased risk of prostate cancer due to my TCF2 gene, my LOC124685 gene, my 8q24 region 3 gene, and my 8q24 region 1 gene. As it appeared I had a hereditary predisposition to prostate cancer (a 38% lifetime risk versus the average lifetime risk of 11%), I was advised to attend regular check-ups with a urologist starting at age 50.
Several studies were referred to that suggested lifestyle changes could reduce my prostate cancer risk. One study suggested that taking 200 micrograms of selenium per day would reduce my risk by 65%, another suggested that taking a dose of vitamin E each day would reduce my risk by 32%. My prostate cancer screening summary is shown below.
My prostate cancer screening summary.
Results Section: Homocysteine / Vascular Wall
The results showed I have a strong predisposition to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. This rang true with me because my paternal grandfather passed away from a heart attack in his 60s. It was recommended that my doctor monitor my homocysteine and folate levels at my check-ups, and if I’m folate deficient, I should increase my folic acid intake by eating certain types of food which were detailed in the report. I was also advised to restrict my alcohol intake, and improve my vitamin B2, B6 and B12 status. My homocysteine / vascular wall summary is shown below.
My homocysteine / vascular wall summary.
Results Section: Obesity
I learned that I have no predisposition to being overweight or obese, so my higher than average BMI (which I provided when purchasing the test) was primarily due to my unhealthy lifestyle. It was suggested that I reduce my daily calorie intake and exercise regularly. I was interested to note that according to my IL-6 polymorphism, I should respond well to physical training for losing body fat – I’ve definitely found this to be the case when I’ve exercised regularly in the past. My obesity summary is shown below.
My obesity summary.
Results Section: Alzheimer's Disease
Finally, I was relieved to see that I am not predisposed to suffer with Alzheimer’s as I am E3/E3 wild type (the advisor I'd spoken with actually gave me a call to relay this result personally, before I received the report). My maternal grandfather passed away from this disease in his 80s so this result was very meaningful to me.
Summary
In summary, the ‘Premium Male’ test from Genetic Health is the best genetic predisposition test on the market today. The personal service I received was excellent and the ‘face to face’ consultation to discuss my results and questions was very reassuring. I was also impressed that a scientific study had been referenced for every analysis and recommendation, giving me confidence in the results. This test is expensive but excellent value for money considering what you get.