June 29, 2022
All of Us health-related DNA results are getting closer! We have not notified anyone about their specific results yet. But we are on track to start returning these results before the end of the year. Remember, it will take several months to return results to everyone who wants them. In this month’s update, we take a closer look at the upcoming Hereditary Disease Risk report.
Some variants, or differences, in genes may increase a person’s risk of developing certain diseases. That’s what we will look for in the Hereditary Disease Risk report. Learn what it means if we don’t find an increased risk. And find out how we’ll support participants who may have an increased risk.
Remember, you can speak to an All of Us genetic counselor at no cost to help you understand your results.
What types of results are included in the Hereditary Disease Risk report?
Participants will receive a report that either says 1) we found something significant for their health in the genes we looked at OR 2) we did not find something significant. We expect that about 97-98% of participants who receive this report will get a result saying we did not find anything significant.
If we don’t find anything significant in the genes we look at, that’s good news. However, there are a few important points to note about these results.
- We will not look at every gene. We will look at 59 genes associated with known health conditions.
- You may still develop a health condition even if you don’t have an increased risk based on the genes we looked at.
- Many additional factors influence your health. You can make changes to your lifestyle to improve your health. Eating a healthy diet, sleeping enough, and exercising are always good ideas.
What happens if a participant’s report shows an increased risk of disease?
You’ve probably heard by now that All of Us DNA results are research results. That means that All of Us results must be confirmed with a clinical DNA test before using them in your health care.
If your Hereditary Disease Risk report shows that you have an increased risk of a serious health condition, All of Us will help you get a clinical DNA test at no cost. This test will not be part of the All of Us Research Program. You will work directly with Color Health, an All of Us partner, to get that test.
Why will All of Us offer a clinical DNA test to some participants?
All of Us doesn’t provide health care, but the health of our participants matters to us. The DNA results we give you might be important for your health. We don’t want cost to be a barrier to you receiving important information that you can use in your health care.
You can always ask your doctor or health care provider to give you a clinical DNA test. If you do, All of Us will not pay for that test.
Health-related results are starting this year. Stay in touch.
Are you looking forward to the start of health-related results? Log in to your All of Us account and make sure that your contact information is up to date. You can also add an email address or mobile phone number to make sure you don’t miss your invitation when it’s ready.
REVIEW CONTACT INFO
Keep an eye on our national newsletter for our July update.
In good health,
The All of Us Research Program
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