Health Insights
Understanding your genetic health predispositions and ancestry
7 min read
Carrier Status
Being a "carrier" means you have one copy of a gene variant associated with a genetic condition. Carriers typically don't have the condition themselves but can pass the variant to their children.
Why Carrier Status Matters
If both parents are carriers of the same recessive condition, each child has a 25% chance of being affected. This is especially important for family planning discussions.
Conditions We Screen For
Disease Risk Factors
Some genetic variants are associated with increased risk for certain health conditions. It's important to understand that having a risk variant does not mean you will develop the condition - it's one factor among many.
What "Increased Risk" Means
If the average person has a 10% lifetime risk for a condition, and you have a variant that doubles risk, your risk is 20%. That's higher than average, but still means an 80% chance you won't develop the condition.
Factors Beyond Genetics
Lifestyle, diet, exercise, environment, and other genes all influence disease development. Many conditions are influenced more by lifestyle than genetics.
Important: If you have variants associated with conditions like hereditary breast/ovarian cancer (BRCA1/2) or Lynch syndrome, we strongly recommend speaking with a genetic counselor or your doctor.
Ancestry Insights
Your DNA contains information about your ancestral origins. While not as detailed as dedicated ancestry services, we provide insights into your genetic heritage.
Population Origins
See which global populations share genetic signatures with your DNA, providing insight into your ancestral geographic origins.
Haplogroups
Your maternal (mtDNA) and paternal (Y-DNA, if applicable) haplogroups trace your direct ancestral lines back thousands of years.
Note: Ancestry insights are available with Sentinel Plus subscriptions.
What You Can Do
While you can't change your genes, you can take proactive steps based on your results:
- •Discuss with your doctor - Share relevant findings, especially pathogenic variants
- •Consider genetic counseling - Especially for significant findings or family planning
- •Inform family members - They may share some of your genetic variants
- •Stay monitored - Sentinel alerts you when new research affects your variants