Genetic screening
As a customer of Lycenna, you are offered genetic screening.
Here, we explain more about what these tests entail and how you can use them to prevent or detect disease before it’s too late.
Genetic screening – A rapidly growing industry
Just 20 years ago, scientists worldwide reached the significant milestone of mapping all human genes after intensive work. Research on the role of genetics in various diseases has since grown exponentially.
Currently, genetic testing within public healthcare is limited to individuals with family connections to or who have been affected by serious diseases. Private services offer tests for hundreds of diseases, allergies, and physical conditions. However, it is common for many of these tests to lack scientific evidence, and ethical challenges arise regarding providing information about increased disease risk without available treatment.
As a customer of Lycenna, you are offered genetic screening as part of our advanced health checkups. There is also the option to access the analysis without subscribing to our service. This includes a consultation with our doctors who will help you interpret the report, and we will provide suggestions on how to plan future follow-ups.
We only examine so-called “actionable” mutations in your genome, meaning we only test for mutations that pose a risk for diseases we can actually do something about. A report on your genetic risks doesn’t add much value without advice from a clinician who can help you interpret the data. That’s why we at Lycenna are happy to help you interpret the report and create a plan for your future health. For example, it could involve an individually tailored follow-up program with imaging tests or advice on lifestyle changes.
We test for 81 genes classified as actionable according to the American College of Medical Genetics & Genomics, genes that affect drug reactions for over 100 medications, as well as polygenic risk scores for cardiovascular disease.
Our genetic screenings are conducted in partnership with a facility in the United Kingdom, where at Lycenna, we have carefully evaluated the most suitable laboratories and tests.
As a customer, you have the option to store your genetic information for future updates to the analysis. Through a user account, you can access an overview of your genetic health at any time and receive updates on new genes that may affect your risk of disease.
Most diseases are caused by a combination of genetics and the environment. While there are individual genes that significantly increase the risk of, or even cause, disease (known as monogenic diseases), it is common for multiple genes with different mutations to contribute to increased disease risk (known as polygenic diseases).
Examples of polygenic diseases include cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
Previously, testing was limited to individual mutations in monogenic diseases, which limited the use of genetics in healthcare. Now, with advanced technology, polygenic risk scores can be calculated based on a large number of genes and their patterns.
The development of diseases is often not influenced by a single aberrant gene, especially when it comes to cardiovascular disease, but rather by a combination of mutations in several different genes. It is therefore your unique pattern of mutations that influences the risk of developing the disease. Polygenic risk scoring is an innovative way to assess the risk of developing these types of so-called polygenic diseases, based on the pattern of mutations in millions of different genes. The tools for this have been improved with the ability to analyze large datasets.
The result is presented as a percentage that describes your risk compared to the general population, providing an overview of the risk of developing the disease over a 10-year period. When combined with other values, such as your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and BMI, you get an even better risk assessment.
You can read more about polygenic risk scoring here or watch the video below.
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