What DNA Test Results Can Tell You
When making the decision to take to take a DNA test, your only reasoning may be to find your ethnic breakdown and complete your family tree, but the DNA test results you receive from DNA testing can offer you much more than just knowing what part of your Europe your ancestors came from. Ever wonder what your genetic makeup is or if you inherited a health risk that runs in your family? A DNA test can give you insight to all of this information so that you can make the correct health adjustments.
Unless you are taking a legal DNA test for child support or child custody reasons, getting your DNA tested is entirely voluntary. While you may not be interested about where your family comes from or your ethnic background, you may still want to consider taking a test for the health benefits. The results from DNA testing can help you further understand what genes you are carrying and how these can affect your overall health. These results can help you assess your risk of certain diseases. With this knowledge, you can then take preventative health actions to avoid any of the diseases you may be at risk for.
Hereditary diseases are a major area in which DNA testing can be useful. Many families experience some sort of disease or disorder that seems to run through the generations and affect an entire lineage. By taking a DNA test, you can find out if any specific trait for a disease/disorder was passed down to you. Common diseases/disorders that can be passed down through genes as traits are:
- Down syndrome
- Kidney Disease
- Turner syndrome
- Sickle cell anemia
- Muscular dystrophy
These are just a few of the traits that can be passed down through genes and knowing if you carry them can help you make informed decisions when it comes to your own personal health or your offsprings. Remember, you do not have to possess these diseases/disorders to be a carrier. Many carriers go their entire life not knowing that they have these traits in their genes and pass them down to their offspring. A DNA test is a great step for you and your partner to take before having a child just so you can be informed of the risks.
Taking a DNA test can also help you make the changes to live a healthier lifestyle. After youreceive your results, you can then learn what you are genetical predisposed to and make the necessary changes to avoid actually having these diseases. Like we said unless you are mandated to take a legal DNA test, it is completely voluntary for you to take, but the benefits you will receive can help you ultimately live a healthier life and become informed on the different traits that you may be carrying.
