23andMe launches its first diabetes risk assessment

Consumer genetics giant 23andMe has announced that it will begin offering a report that tells customers how their DNA affects their chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Its new test, developed using data from more than 2.5 million of the company’s customers who agreed to participate in research, analyzes genetic variants to generate what’s known as a polygenic risk score, the equivalent of a genetic credit score. The company is taking pains to stress that genetic risk and overall risk can be quite different. Still, some experts are hopeful that the 23andMe test will send at-risk patients to see a physician who wouldn’t otherwise do so.