Find Answers in Your DNA (Sponsored) – WebMD

Do you have questions about your health? Your DNA may hold the answers. Your bodys genetic code that makes you unique also tells an important story about where you come from and where youre going. Consider it your own internal crystal ball, holding the clues to how youll develop.

Your DNA truly tells a story. It can show you what part of the world your ancestors came from, connecting you to communities across the world. It can help you understand why your hair is curly or straight, or why your eyes are brown or blue. It can reveal fun facts like whether you have an affinity for cilantro or whats unique about your ear wax. And, perhaps most critical, it can contain clues to why certain health conditions might run in your family.

With all of these exciting possibilities, its no wonder that DNA testing especially at-home DNA kits to learn about ancestry has been so popular in recent years. In fact, a 2019 study found that more than 26 million people had taken an at-home, mail-in DNA ancestry test offered by a handful of companies that swiftly came on the market. But did you know theres also an opportunity to test your DNA, uncover answers about your ancestry, reveal fun facts about your tastes and unique attributes, learn about your potential health risks, and help researchers uncover patterns about health that may transform the future of personalized medicine all at no cost to you?

That opportunity is available to anyone age 18 and older in the United States, simply by participating in The All of Us Research Program. A historic initiative by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to engage one million or more people from communities across the country in medical research that aims to change the face of health care as we know it. All of Us is building one of the largest, most diverse databases to inform thousands of studies on a variety of health conditions. By involving participants from all demographics, including many who have historically been underrepresented in medical research, All of Us aims to change health care from the one-size-fits-all approach it often is today to a more individualized approach for tomorrow.

How? One way is through DNA. In addition to answering a wide range of surveys with questions about your health, your family history, the environment you live in participants also have the benefit of sharing biosamples, such as blood, urine and saliva, to help researchers uncover the answers only your DNA can provide. Doing so not only provides you the participant with valuable information about your own personal health and family history, but it also creates infinitely valuable opportunities for medical researchers to know the risk factors for certain diseases and figure out which treatments work best for people of different backgrounds.

But All of Us can only achieve this mission if it involves, you guessed it, All of Us. If you have questions about your health and your familys ancestral history, the next step to find the answers may be by joining the hundreds of thousands of people across the United States already aiding All of Us researchers in their mission to revolutionize precision medicine. A healthier future for all of us begins by taking an in-depth look at your ancestral past; your DNA may hold the key. Unlock the door to a healthy future today. Learn more at the All of Us website.

All of Us is a service mark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2021

WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.

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Find Answers in Your DNA (Sponsored) - WebMD