How will I receive my test once I have purchased it?

You will receive your package within 1-3 business days. You will receive the saliva kit, the bags and the material needed to return the sample to the laboratory, as well as an instruction sheet for sample collection and a request form.

How should I send the sample?

Follow the instructions received with the kit. Insert the plastic bag with the saliva sample and the request form inside the return envelope of the courier company. To request the collection of the sample you must register as a user on our website, register your kit and request its collection. Once the collection has been arranged, we will send a courier to the address provided to pick up the package that will be sent to our laboratory.

When should the sample be sent?

Once extracted, the sample is stable at room temperature for months. We recommend that the sample be sent to our laboratory within a maximum period of one month from its collection. Once in the laboratory, the samples undergo a quality control to verify that they meet the minimum requirements necessary to start the genetic analysis.

How will I receive my test once I have purchased it?

You will receive your package within 1-3 business days. You will receive the saliva kit, the bags and the material needed to return the sample to the laboratory, as well as an instruction sheet for sample collection and a request form.

How should I send the sample?

Follow the instructions received with the kit. Insert the plastic bag with the saliva sample and the request form inside the return envelope of the courier company. To request the collection of the sample you must register as a user on our website, register your kit and request its collection. Once the collection has been arranged, we will send a courier to the address provided to pick up the package that will be sent to our laboratory.

When should the sample be sent?

Once extracted, the sample is stable at room temperature for months. We recommend that the sample be sent to our laboratory within a maximum period of one month from its collection. Once in the laboratory, the samples undergo a quality control to verify that they meet the minimum requirements necessary to start the genetic analysis.

How are packs configured?

In the same purchase, products can be purchased for more than one person. However, it must be taken into account that you have to configure as many packs as people you want to test. Each pack must include at least one genetic test. Additional reports and visits with professional nutritionists or geneticists can be added to this genetic test. Check that the configuration of your packs is correct before accepting the purchase.

What forms of payment do we accept?

We accept payment on our website by credit or debit card. You can also contact us and pay by wire transfer.

What is the shipping cost of the kit?

The shipping and collection costs of the kit are always free in the Iberian Peninsula. In the case of the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands a supplement of 21€ and 25€ respectively is applied.

Can a professional explain the results of my study to me?

We recommend that you discuss the results of your studies with a health professional. You can discuss them with your doctor, nutritionist or geneticist. In case you need expert advice, we offer you our professional nutritionists and geneticists, who will visit you online for approximately one hour to know and evaluate your case, propose guidelines for action and follow-up, solve doubts, etc.

How do I request visits with a professional nutritionist or geneticist?

First of all, you must have contracted the service in our online store, either at the time of purchase of the genetic test or later. Once contracted, you must access our website with your username and password and, (1), answer the form prior to the consultation and, (2), book a visit in our online agenda. Once booked, you will receive an email with the link to the telematic visit, so that you can access the day and time booked.

How do I receive my reports?

Once the contracted study has been completed, you will receive a notification email indicating that the report is available in your user space on our website (you must access our website with your username and password and click on access my reports). To protect your genetic data, the files are encrypted. In order to open them, you will have to enter the password provided to you in the email notification of available results.

When will I receive my report?

If you are ordering a test for the first time, the delivery time of the report with the results is between 3 and 6 weeks from the reception of your sample in our laboratory. In case of requesting a report based on genetic data or raw data, the delivery time of the report is 3 working days.

Will I have access to my genetic data?

Once the study is finished, you can ask us for your genetic data or raw data and we will proceed to upload it to your user space on our website. To protect your genetic data, the files are protected. In order to open them, you will have to enter the password provided to you in the data availability notification email.

Who will have access to my genetic data?

Only you and us. We do not share your data with third parties. In addition, our laboratories are located within the Spanish territory, so in no case neither your sample nor your data will travel outside Spain.

Can I get AboutMe reports from genetic data or raw data from other companies?

In most cases, AboutMe reports can be obtained from genetic data generated in other companies. It will only be necessary that our technical team previously evaluate these data.

What kind of information is obtained from my sample?

From your saliva sample, we extract the DNA from the cells of your oral mucosa, which we analyze in order to know your genetic information.

What kind of technology is used to analyze my DNA?

For AboutMe – Ancestry Test, AboutMe – Nutrigenetic Test, AboutMe – Pharmacogenetic Test and AboutMe – Cancer Prevention Test we use the PMDA (Precision Medicine Diversity Array) platform from Applied BioSystems, which allows us to know >850,000 genetic markers of your DNA with a quality >99%. It is the most comprehensive platform on the market designed to cover all those genetic variants that are important for your health. In the case of the AboutMe – EXOME test, we sequence your exome, that is, the 20,000 genes of your genome. We use the SureSelect Human All Exon v6 kit from Agilent Technologies, which achieves optimal analysis coverage in more than 98% of the coding regions of the genome and an average depth of more than 150x. Exome sequencing is performed on an Illumina platform, the world leader in DNA sequencing technologies.

What is the scientific evidence for your genetic studies?

All genetic variants analyzed and reported in our reports have been previously evaluated by an expert and multidisciplinary team. Only those genetic variants that meet a series of very strict parameters have been considered: number of scientific publications, population samples of these publications and impact of the variant on health.

Can AboutMe – Ancestry test help me to find my relatives?

As we have already mentioned, we do not share your results with third parties, so we cannot perform the comparisons that allow this type of identifications. However, and if requested, you will be able to download your genetic data or raw data in your user profile and then upload it to other companies’ web platforms that do offer this service.

Is it a study to diagnose cancer?

No, it is a screening test with the ability to detect genetic variants that confer a higher risk than the general population to develop various types of cancer throughout life.

Can this test be used to determine the risk of developing any type of cancer?

Cancer is a multifactorial disease in which genetics plays a fundamental role, but there are other key environmental factors for the development of the disease. Even so, although all cancers are genetic (they are due to the presence of a genetic mutation in cells of a specific tissue), this does not mean that they are hereditary. These cancers are sporadic and are associated with environmental factors such as smoking, too much unprotected exposure to the sun or poor nutrition, among other factors. On the other hand, it is known that around 5-10% of all cancers are hereditary in origin, i.e. they are due to genetic variants inherited from our parents and present in all the cells of the organism, or to variants developed in the very early stages of the embryo formation. These types of cancers are the ones evaluated in AboutMe – Cancer Prevention Test.

I have had cancer in the past, should I take this test?

Taking the test can help to understand whether the cancer you have had is hereditary or not. However, we recommend that, in this case, you first make a counseling visit with our expert cancer geneticists so that they can assess the suitability of carrying out a more complete and personalized study.

I have one or more relatives who have suffered from cancer, should I take this test?

In these cases, the ideal protocol is to carry out a genetic study first on the relatives who have had cancer. This will allow us to determine whether the cancer they have suffered has a hereditary origin or whether they are sporadic. However, if this is not possible, you can also benefit from a genetic test with the ability to detect genetic variants that confer a higher risk of developing various types of cancer compared to the general population. We recommend that you visit one of our expert cancer geneticists beforehand so that they can assess the suitability of performing this or any other type of genetic study.

Why is my risk of developing cancer not 0 if I do not have genetic variants?

In the case of not presenting genetic variants, we can greatly reduce the risk of presenting various types of cancer of hereditary origin. However, we cannot rule out the occurrence of sporadic cancer, which any individual in the general population could develop. To give an example, the lifetime risk of women in the general population to develop breast cancer is approximately 12%. However, women with genetic variants in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes have an increased risk of 72% and 69%, respectively. Thus, in the case of not finding genetic variants in our AboutMe – Cancer Prevention Test study, it would help to define that your risk of developing breast cancer is similar to that of the general population.

Does the report include a nutritional menu?

The elaboration of a nutritional menu should not be done simply taking into account genetic findings, but should also take into account other factors such as diseases, daily habits, goals, etc. For this, it is important to schedule a visit with an expert in nutrition, who will evaluate your case, put all these factors together and elaborate a menu tailored to your needs. We put at your disposal our nutritionists, experts in nutrition and sports genetics, to carry out a personalized evaluation and follow-up of your case.

Can this test diagnose intolerances or diseases related to nutrition?

This genetic test allows us to know your genetic predisposition to develop a series of health problems related to nutrition. In other words, it is a preventive medicine test that allows us to know your risk to certain conditions, in order to recommend guidelines or lifestyle changes to avoid the development of these conditions in the future. Once the risk has been identified, and in case you suspect you have already developed the disease, you should undergo clinical tests to confirm or rule out this health problem, always under the guidance of a health professional.

Is the test recommended for minors?

The performance of this genetic test in minors has the same benefits for the person tested as in adults. In the case of minors, the evaluation of the results and follow-up by an expert nutritionist is strongly recommended.

Should I modify my drug dosage or change my drug if my results indicate so?

This genetic test does not replace existing prescription guidelines nor does it constitute, by itself, a diagnosis or medical advice. Under no circumstances should you change medication or dosage without the prior approval of a physician.

What is the purpose of this test?

The pharmacogenetics test is a clinical decision support tool designed to reduce the risks of adverse drug reactions and therapeutic failure.

What is the exome?

The exome comprises the coding regions, the exons, of the 20,000 genes in the genome. These regions will be translated by machinery found inside the cells giving rise to proteins with various functions.

Why is it important to sequence your exome?

Exome sequencing is important because it is in these regions of the genome where 85% of the mutations responsible for known genetic diseases are located.

Why is this test customizable?

By sequencing the exons of all the genes in the genome, it is possible to analyze the DNA in packages of gene panels associated with different diseases or conditions. The genetics counselor in the consultation will mark which packages will be analyzed according to the concerns or interests presented by the person to be tested. In this sense the test allows:
– Personalize the study according to family history or personal interests.
– Store information for future studies or consultations.
– Update the analysis as our life situation changes or according to advances in scientific knowledge.