>>>
>>> WELL,
>>> WELL, AT HOME DNA TESTS ARE INCREDIBLY POPULAR.
INCREDIBLY POPULAR. WE'VE HEARD PLENTY OF STORIES
ABOUT PEOPLE USING THEM TO
CONNECT WITH FAMILY MEMBERS.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE MEDICAL SIDE,
THOSE GENETIC TESTS THAT TELL
YOU IF YOU'RE PREDISPOSED TO
PERSON DISEASES AND DISORDERS.
KEEP IN MIND WHEN YOU SEND AWAY
THAT CHEEK SWAB OR SALIVA, YOU
ARE SENDING AWAY YOUR FULL
GENETIC CODE, THE ONE THAT MAKES
YOU UNIQUELY YOU.
SO JUST HOW ACCURATE ARE THESE
TESTS AND WHAT DO THEY ACTUALLY
TELL US?
TELL US?
TELL US? HERE'S RENA SARIGIANOPOULOS.
>> Reporter: STEVE GREW UP
KNOWING HE WAS DUTCH.
>> IN FACT, WE HAD THE WOODEN
SHOES, WE WOULD TAKE PICTURES
LIKE WE HAD LITTLE DUTCH BOY AND
GIRL IN OUR YARD.
>> Reportr: UNTIL ONE DAY HE
SUDDENLY WASN'T.
SUDDENLY WASN'T. >> IT WAS INTRIGUING FOR ME TO
FIND OUT THAT OUR DUTCH SIDE IS
A VERY SMALL PERSONAL OF WHO WE
ARE.
ARE.
ARE. >>
ARE. >> Reporter: STEVE DID THE 23
AND ME DNA TEST, WHICH, BY THE
WAY HAS NOT GONE OVER WELL WITH
HIS ADAMANTLY DUTCH PARENTS.
STEVE DIDN'T JUST TEST HIS
ANCESTRY.
ANCESTRY.
ANCESTRY. HE CONSENTED TO ALL THE MEDICAL
GENETICS TOO.
GENETICS TOO. >> I OPTED IN FOR ALZHEIMER'S,
PARKINSONS, MACULAR
PARKINSONS, MACULAR DEGENERATION.
DEGENERATION. >> Reporter: YOU'LL GET THE
RESULTS BACK FROM IF YOU'RE ABLE
TO SMELL ASPARAGUS IN YOUR URINE
TO WHETHER YOU SNEEZE IN THE
SUN.
SUN.
SUN. >>
SUN. >> MY FRIENDS WOULD ALL TELL YOU
I VERY MUCH HAVE IT.
>> Reporter: BUT THAT HE SAYS IS
THE ONLY THING HE FELT WAS OFF
ABOUT THE RESULTS.
>> MY GRANDMA JUST RECENTLY WAS
DIAGNOSED WITH MACULAR
DEGENERATION, AND NO SURPRISE
THEN TO ME THAT IT CAME BACK
THAT I CARRY THE GENES FOR
POSSIBLY DEVELOPING THAT
>> Reporter: NO SURPRISE IS
RIGHT ACCORDING TO CERTIFIED
GENETICS COUNSELOR SHERRY.
>> DO YOU KNOW THE BEST TEST IS
I GOOD FAMILY HISTORY.
>> Reporter: BUT NOT EVERYONE
HAS ACCESS TO FAMILY HISTORY.
SO ARE THESE AT-HOME TESTS
ACCURATE AND WORTH YOUR MONEY?
WE WENT TO NOT ONE.
>> BUYER BEWARE.
>> Reporter: BUT TWO GENETIC
COUNSELS.
COUNSELS.
COUNSELS. SHERRY FROM HEALTHPARTNERS AND
SHERRY FROM ALLINA BOTH HAVE THE
SAME CONCERNS, FIRST, ACCURACY.
THE TESTING COMPANIES ARE NOT
ALL KWLCHLT MAKE SURE THE ONE
YOU CHOOSE IS USING A CILA
CERTIFIED LAB, MEANING THE FOOD
AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, CENTER
FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND THE
CENTER FOR MEDICAID SERVICES
HAVE ALL APPROVED.
TWO, WHILE IT MAY SEEM LIKE
YOU'RE GETTING A LOT OF
INFORMATION, EVEN THE BEST
AT-HOME TESTS ARE LIMITED.
>> WE LOOK AT YOUR FAMILY
HISTORY, WE LOOK AT YOUR
LIFESTYLE, WE LOOK AT
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. SO ALL OF THOSE PUZZLE PIECES
REALLY HELP ME ASSESS WHAT IS
YOUR RISK FOR HAVING A GENETIC
DISEASE.
DISEASE.
DISEASE. REPORT OR THE THREE, PAY
ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU'RE NOT
GETTING.
GETTING.
GETTING. FOR INSTANCE, 23 AND ME WAS JUST
FDA APPROVED TO TEST FOR
MUTATIONS IN THE BRCA1 AND BRCA2
GENES, THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH
HIGHER RISK OF BREAST AND
OVARIAN CANCERS.
OVARIAN CANCERS. >> THE TESTS ARING ABOUT LOOING
AT THREE MUTATIONS OUT OF
THOUSANDS, AND THEY'RE ONLY
COMMON IN THE ASHKENAZI JEWISH
POPULATION.
POPULATION. IT DOESN'T TEST FOR THE OTHER
MUTATIONS IN THOSE TWO GENES.
NOR DOES IT TEST FOR THOSE OTHER
GENES.
GENES.
GENES. SO
GENES. SO IF I GOT THE TEST AND IT WAS
NORMAL IT REALLY HASN'T TOLD ME
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. >> IT MIGHT LEAD YOU TO BELIEVE
THAT YOU'RE NOT AT RISK.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. >> Reporter: WE REACHED OUT TO
23 AND ME.
WHILE THEY DIDN'T GO ON CAMERA
THEY DID ISSUE A STATEMENT
SAYING THEIR STANDARD FOR
ACCURACY IS UNMATCHED IN THE
MARKET AND THAT THEY WERE THE
ONLY CONSUMER COMPANY TO GET AN
FDA AUTHORIZATION.
FDA AUTHORIZATION. AND IF YOU SCROLL DOWN TO THE
SMALL PRINT AT THE BOTTOM OF
THEIR WEBSITE, THEY STATE VERY
CLEARLY THE LIMITATIONS OF THEIR
TESTING, AND THAT IT SHOULD NOT
BE USED TO MAKE MEDICAL
DECISIONS.
DECISIONS. OH, AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THIS.
>> MAYBE YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW
ARE THEY GOING TO USE YOUR DNA,
DO THEY SAVE THAT SAMPLE?
SOMETIMES THEY SELL IT TO
ANOTHER COMPANY THAT'S DOING
RESEARCH.
RESEARCH.
RESEARCH. >> Reporter: STEVE KNEW ALL THE
CAVEATS BEFORE HE SENT OFF HIS
SALIVA AND SAYS HE STILL
WOULDN'T CHANGE HIS MIND.
>> I FEEL LIKE IF YOU'RE ARMED
WITH INFORMATION AND THERE'S A
POTENTIAL FOR YOU TO DO
SOMETHING TO CHANGE THAT OUTCOME
LIKE I WANT TO KNOW.
>> Reporter: JUST A COUPLE OTHER
QUICK THINGS.
QUICK THINGS. FA YOU DO DECIDE TO DO THIS AND
YOU GET A POSITIVE RESULT BACK,
IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU'RE
NECESSARILY GOING TO DEVELOP ONE
OF THESE DISEASES IN THE FUTURE.
SAME THING IF YOU GET A NEGATIVE
TEST BACK, IT DOESN'T MEAN
YOU'RE IN THE CLEAR.
ALSO INSURANCE, RIGHT NOW THESE
GENETIC TESTS CANNOT AFFECT YOUR
HEALTH INSURANCE, BUT THEY CAN
AFFECT LIFE INSURANCE, LONG-TERM
DISABILITY, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO THEY CAN ASK YOU ABOUT THOSE
SORTS OF THINGS WHEN YOU APPLY
FOR THOSE TYPES OF DISABILITY
INSURANCES AND READ THE FINE
PRINT.
PRINT.
PRINT. I
PRINT. I WAS READING THE FINE PRINT ON
WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION THEY
COLLECT ON YOU.
IT'S NOT EVEN JUST YOUR DNA.
YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT, ALL THE
THINGS THAT YOU'RE COLLECTING
ABOUT YOU THAT YOU WOULDN'T EVEN
THINK BYTE WE ALWAYS JUST CLICK
I AGREE.
I AGREE.
I AGREE. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS
WHERE YOU REALLY WANT TO PAY
ATTENTION.
ATTENTION. >> I THINK IT'S SUCH A GOOD
POINT THOUGH.
POINT THOUGH. IF IT SAYS YOU'RE NOT AT RISK
FOR ALZHEIMER'S, AND YOU DON'T
REALLY KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE OR
NOT.
NOT.
NOT. >>
NOT. >> THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER THING
THAT'S GO INTO IT,