By David Saunders | UPDATED: 11:28, 25 April 2020
As the Coronavirus dominates the headlines, Brits are looking for more ways to future proof their health. As the preventative health market is set to grow by £50 billion in the next five years, never has there been a more pertinent time to consider how best to protect our health.
CircleDNA at-home kits will give consumers a far greater understanding of their genetic blueprint, allowing them to make better, more informed decisions linked to their health and wellbeing.
As celebrities including Rihanna, Lizzo, Rio Ferdinand and Kirsty Gallagher praise DNA tests, to inform their skincare, fitness and nutrition regimes, DNA tests have become a more mainstream solution to informing a range of health choices.
The partnership between Superdrug and CircleDNA, coinciding with National DNA day, signals a huge step in the democratisation of previously elitist health care options.
With a greater understanding of their genetic blueprint, customers will now have the knowledge, as well as support from CircleDNA genetic counsellors, to make more informed decisions on how to enhance and future proof their health.
It was announced this week that the UK Biobank, which contains samples from 500,000 volunteers, is now adding Covid-19 data, to show how genetic differences can explain why some people with no underlying health conditions can develop severe illness.
Prof Rory Collins, principal investigator of the project, said the biobank genetic data would be “a goldmine for researchers,” adding “it is a uniquely rich set of data – and I think we will transform our understanding of the disease.”
CircleDNA can successfully deliver over 500 personalised reports across 20 genetics categories, such as genetic cancer risk for eight major cancers, lifestyle disease risk (Type II diabetes, High Blood pressure etc.), genetic drug-interaction reports, carrier screening, food sensitivity and behaviour traits.
CircleDNA also provides users with information through an innovative app that helps to educate and inform users on how to manage their health, but also to understand the results in the context of their lifestyle which plays a very important part in interpretation of genetic testing – as well as allowing users to directly book a consultation with CircleDNA’s genetic counsellors and dieticians from the app.
In the last 15 years, such an extensive genetic analysis would cost the consumer over £1million per person.
Differing from other DNA testing kits which are shrouded in scepticism due to the prevalence of false-negative and false-positive results,
CircleDNA is the first and only consumer-facing kit available in the UK to use the advanced NGS technology-based whole-exome sequencing, where a massive 31 million positions in DNA are measured per person.
This is in comparison to other tests which use basic Genotyping, only analysing around 1000 – 600,000 per person.
CircleDNA results are delivered via the state-of-the-art app in just 18 days, with in-depth analysis of what each report means and advice on how individuals can utilise this information to benefit their health and wellbeing.
All 500 reports are accompanied by a sliding scale showing the scientific accuracy behind each finding and all customers are offered access to CircleDNA’s Genetic Counsellors, who are professionals with specific expertise in genetics and can counsel users through their results.
CircleDNA implements the highest measure and systems to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability of its users’ data.
CircleDNA home DNA testing kits can be purchased in Superdrug stores from 25th April and online at https://www.superdrug.com
RRP: £499.