User:Ysearcher

ExPublic Genomes
Summary	23andMe

Last update - Feb 2011

I am a 58 year old American male of almost entirely colonial era British Isles ancestry, with a "smidgen" of colonial era Palatine German ancestry. Currently sharing with about 296 participants at 23andMe. Relative Finder & Ancestry Finder functions at 23andMe confirm that an "overwhelming majority" of my autosomal DNA is consistent with origins in the British Isles & the northwestern Atlantic coastal regions. My Y chromosome haplogroup is R-L21* ("short naming convention", per ISOGG phylogenetic tree), & my maternal grandfather's Y hg is also R-L21*. My mitochondrial DNA haplogroup is T2b19a* (Pike et al, 2010) & my father's mtDNA hg is V. I have had various & sundry DNA tests performed by Family Tree DNA, DNA Heritage, Relative Genetics, the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF), Trace Genetics & 23andMe (no conflicts found in any test results from these multiple sources). A preponderance of evidence gathered from 30+ years of genealogical research & about 6 years of genomic research suggests that my ancestry is "mostly" from the northwestern areas of the British Isles (Ulster, Argyll, southwestern Lowlands, the Borders & Midlands) , but includes ancestors from throughout the British Isles. Several males with whom I share common ancestry (we have common links in our pedigrees) are all derived for M269 (Y-hg R1b).

My extended family medical history is fairly typical for an American male of my ancestry, with heart disease, stroke, & various cancers being the major risk factors. My direct paternal line has a very well documented history of serious heart disease, but my father is now 91 years old without any known heart problems. As genomic testing continues to flourish & improve, I hope to use my test results to improve my lifestyle choices, diet & behavior. This could include many facets of health care, as well as advance planning for the end of life.

Ultimately, I believe that this technology will prove useful in reducing the explosive costs of health care for the developed world, an issue that is rapidly approaching crisis levels. Reducing health care cost is a balance between predicting therapy that is appropriate & *therapy that is not appropriate*. Without those constraints, healthcare becomes a consumer driven "free for all" contest. There are large areas of the economy that may benefit from that approach, but it can only have profoundly detrimental effects on society in the long term. Very high health care costs are a serious impediment to the growth of future generations. There is no cure for aging & death - we need to learn to accept it gracefully when necessary, versus trying to buy every day that we can at any cost.