It's possible you've done some genetic testing to find
out where your ancestors are from. But our DNA can also
tell us what diseases run in our genes that science is
now being used in preventative health care. I was in a
foster home for a few months when we go to doctor,
we're asked to share our family's medical history. B
Emma Patterson has never known hers. I was born in
Busan, South Korea. Um and uh I was eventually adopted
to my family here in Minnesota. Um And through that
adoption process, uh closed adoptions were more common
at the time. So I don't have um hardly any inform
about my birth parents. Uh And because of that, I also
don't have any family health history. Last year,
Peterson found out she could take a DNA test that would
search for markers of genetic diseases. Once I got my
results, I was really relieved to find that I didn't
test at a higher risk for any of the genetic markers.
Now, if Peterson did have any of the markers, Leslie
Dawkin with health care company, health Partners says
she'd be able to start preventative care. My sister in
law had a genetic test early on and was told she had
the BRCA one gene and that she was at higher risk for
breast cancer. So she followed very closely with her
physicians and they watched, um, you know, some changes
in her breast tissue and other things. And then she
took preemptive steps and actually had a mastectomy
before she developed her cancer. Health partners is
part of a network of hospitals using saliva and bloo
samples to help people identify what they could be at
risk for. We look for BRCA one or BRCA two. So breast
cancer risk, we look for colorectal cancer risk. And
then anyone with a significantly elevated choles
which drives to um you know, early risk for cardiac
disease. They've partnered with Helix, a Population
Genomics company that works with health care systems
all over the United States. About eight or nine out of
every 10 people walking around have a risk for one of
these conditions and don't know about it because our
medical guidelines are just not catching all the people.
Helix's Vice President of Medical Affairs. Alyssa Levin
says the most exciting aspect about DNA is that it
never changes. We can actually collect a person's
sample once we can sequence or read that informati
and securely store it like we're locking it in a safe
vault. So as science evolves and we can test for more
diseases. Livin says that information will already be
accessible. Dawkins says it's also made it more
affordable. Every time I have a new question, I can
just query the data. I can just look into a database
and find an answer that is very inexpensive compared to
running another $3000 test another $5000 test another
$10,000 test because previously we didn't have a way
to store that data and, and store it easily with more
than 75,000 genetic tests on the market. Johns Hopkins
medicine says the expansion of DNA tests and
improvement of technology has made testing cheaper. But
right now health partners in Helix is offering the test
for free. If people agree to participate in researc
our goal is that we're building enough of a body of
research to show how important genetics is to early
identification, to being able to help prevent these
disease or catch them early in stage one that more and
more people will join into this effort. Dawkins says
we're at a turning point where our genetics can tell us
which drug therapies will work for us and which
medications will give us side effects. That's why she
says it's important for people of all populations to
participate in genetic testing. She says people of
color are underrepresented in genetic databases across
the country. There's been a lot of historical trauma in
the research field and so there are people who are very
hesitant to participate, but by participating and
becoming knowing your own risk, right. To support your
family and your own health. But you also are helping
make sure that the new drugs and the new therapies are
there and will actually work for everyone in all kinds
of different backgrounds and races. Coming forward.
Elizabeth Ruiz Scrips News, Minneapolis.