DNA Health

DNA Health is a comprehensive nutrigenetics test that reports on gene variants in key biological processes that govern health and disease.

The test analyses and reports on gene variants in the following areas; Lipid metabolism, Methylation, Detoxification, Inflammation and Oxidative stress, Insulin sensitivity, Bone health and Food responsiveness. DNA Health provides insight to identify genetic weaknesses in these pathways and offers guidance to improve, or mitigate these weaknesses using targeted diet, lifestyle and nutraceutical interventions. The DNA Health approach thus assists the practitioner in establishing the optimal nutrition necessary for good health, longevity, and disease risk mitigation.

DNA Health

Overview

When To Use it?

The test is appropriate and useful for individuals who have concerns around family history of chronic diseases of lifestyle, as well as for those who wish to improve general health and wellbeing. DNA Health can be particularly useful for individuals who require practitioners to identify key biochemical areas that may need support and targeted therapy as part of an holistic treatment plan.

DNA Health

How To Read The Report

In order to assist the practitioner in interpreting the DNA Health report in a succinct manner, we have developed a protocol as well as summary outcome tables highlighting priority areas on which to focus. With regards to the protocol for report interpretation, this can be described as the “3-3-3 rule”. The first step in the protocol is to identify the top three biological areas where there is the most amount of genetic variation. This can be done by focusing on the genotypes in each area that reflect moderate and high impact factors. The second step is to provide the top three personalised diet and lifestyle interventions based on the priority areas identified. Next, is to establish any supplementation that may be required based on the priority areas. Lastly, the practitioner can be guided on the follow up phenotypic, or biochemical tests, to recommend based on the genetic weaknesses and priority areas that were established. This protocol can then be used in a holistic manner to provide personalised recommendations to the patient.

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Priority Table

Biological Area

The priority table offers a guideline to practitioners to assist in identifying the key biochemical pathways on which to focus their intervention.

Based on the genetic variations the patient carries in each biological area, an algorithm determines the significance of the area as either low, moderate, or high priority. Some genetic variations carry a stronger weighting compared to others.

This table provides practitioners with a summarised overview of the biological pathways on which to focus their interventions, based on the genetics of the patient.

Report Summary

What should I do?

In this section of the DNA Health report, the top priority area’s are listed, based on the patients genetics results that led to ‘high priority’ biological area outcomes, or ‘moderate priority’ if no high priority area’s are noted.

Each priority area is briefly explained, and practical, patient friendly diet and lifestyle recommendations are summarised.

The report summary translates the DNA Health test information into the key take home messages for the patient, based on their unique genotype results.

Summary Table

The summary table provides a snapshot of all the genes tested in the DNA Health test. The genes are categorised according to biological pathway, and the impact factor according to genotype is also shown. This is a useful table to be able to quickly identify where the focus of the intervention is going to be.

Biological Area

The genes in the DNA Health test are divided according to the main biological pathways in which they function, thus providing some guidance and insight for the practitioner when identifying which areas require support.

Gene Name

In the “gene name” column, the gene name is listed. Further on in the report, the full name of the gene is given and describes the protein for which it encodes.

Genetic Variation

The genetic variation column provides the name of the specific genetic variation that is being analysed. The name of the variation is given according to that found in the literature.

Your Result

In this column, the patient’s genotype result is given, according to what was analysed in the laboratory.

Gene Impact

The gene impact column will reflect an impact factor based on the patient’s genotype result. This impact factor could either be a ‘beneficial impact’ (designated by a tick), a ‘no impact’ (a clear circle), ‘low impact’ (one coloured circle), a ‘moderate impact’ (two coloured circles) or a ‘high impact’ factor (three coloured circles). The impact factor is a qualitative assignation by the laboratory, that has been assigned based on the scientific literature available. The ‘no impact’ factor means that, based on that genotype, the gene should be encoding for a ‘normal’ functioning protein and thus there is no change in intervention based on that genotype. When the impact factor is a moderate or high impact, it means that the genotype has been related to an altered function/expression of the protein and thus an increased risk for a weakness in the corresponding biological pathway, requiring a personalised intervention.

It is important for the practitioner to take note of the areas where there are moderate and high impact factors.

Biological Area Results

Result Table

The DNA Health report goes on to give further detail on each biological area. For each biological area in the DNA Health report, a result table is given. The result table provides the genes, corresponding variations, the genotype result, as well as the impact factor per genotype.

Gene Information

The DNA Health report provides the practitioner (and patient) with detail of each gene tested. In this section, the gene being tested is described in more detail, thus offering insight to the importance of the gene in the biological pathway and its relevance to health.

Your Result

In this section, the DNA Health report will provide the genotype result of the client and, when there is a variant detected that leads to a change in how the gene may affect an individual’s health, a description of the relevance of the variation will be given. Actionable, genotype specific information to intervene appropriately is also given.

Biological Area Results

Recommendation

Based on the priority level of the biological area, according to an individual’s genotype results, a summary of personalised nutrigenetic and nutrigenomic recommendations is provided.

Next Steps

According to the individual’s genotype results and priority level of the biological area, appropriate biochemical and phenotypic tests will be recommended. These tests are helpful indicators of the patient’s ‘here and now’ and can be used to monitor the patient’s progress after the intervention is given.

DNA Health

Biological Pathways