All of Us Participants Begin Receiving Health-Related DNA Information
Our DNA can tell us a lot about our health. That’s why the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program is returning health-related DNA results to thousands of participants nationwide.
“Every person who has joined the All of Us Research Program and chosen to share health information is helping to support scientific discoveries. They also have a chance to learn more about their own health,” said Jennifer Burns, Site Manager of the All of Us UAB Huntsville Regional Campus.
What can participants learn from these results? The “Hereditary Disease Risk” report can tell participants about their risk for serious health conditions, like certain cancers or heart disorders. The “Medicine and Your DNA” report can tell participants if their DNA might affect how certain medicines work for them, including common drugs for conditions like diabetes and depression.
All of Us worked with many experts and organizations to map out the best way to share health-related results. They developed a careful consent process and put in place special privacy and security measures to safeguard participants’ privacy.
The program is also making sure that participants have the support they need. Those who have questions about their results can meet with a genetic counselor. Genetic counselors can answer questions and help explain what the results can (and can’t) tell participants.
“Our DNA can’t predict our future. But it can give us important information and help us take steps that can lead to better health,” said Burns.
The mission of the All of Us Research Program is to accelerate health research and medical breakthroughs, enabling individualized prevention, treatment, and care for all of us. The program will partner with at least 1 million people who reflect the diversity of the United States to build one of the largest, most diverse biomedical data resources of its kind. Data is made available to researchers to drive scientific discoveries into the biological, environmental, and behavioral factors that influence health and disease. Some data snapshots are also available to the public.
The UAB Huntsville Regional Medical Campus is a proud partner of the All of Us Research Program. Learn more about the program at JoinAllofUs.org or by contacting your local Huntsville team at (256) 551-4420 or allofushuntsville@uabmc.edu.
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