Inherited Risk is Shaped by Multiple Genes and their Interactions

'Risk for common hereditary health conditions involves multiple genes and their interactions.'

Larry S. Corder, PhD

DNA testing services from Matrix Genomics provide you with the genetic knowledge to tailor a personalized medicine plan.

Disease tends to run in families, but defining inherited predisposition has proved to be difficult. In most instances, evaluating one or several bits of DNA-based information is not enough to define who is at very low, low, moderate or high level of risk.

Risk for many common health conditions is subtle, involving a number of genes working together.

Matrix Genomics identifies a high risk signature involving many genes using a statistical method called GoM. Individuals can match this signature, or resemble it to some extent. The level of resemblance determines the level of risk either very low, low, moderate or high. GoM is accurate and efficient.

Other companies either 1) consider bits of genetic information individually, 2) do not actually investigate interaction except by combining relative risks from unrelated studies found in the literature, bound to be inaccurate, or 3) use less powerful, less accurate statistical methods to identify patterns of risk where the full information on gene-gene interaction is not used effectively.