Genetics Consult Information

Reviewing genetic data can give us clues about your underlying predispositions. This may reveal that you are at risk for certain diseases. This information can be powerful, and you should consider this before moving forward. Some patients may not want to know that they have an increased risk for dementia or other incurable diseases. On the other hand, finding out that you are at risk for a blood clot could be life-saving. It is very important to realize that this information is relatively new to us and involves extremely complex systems. Current reports do not look at everything, but only at a small set of data that we are starting to understand. We do not fully understand how genes interact. This information will show you which genes may not function well, but there could be other genes compensating. Having a mutation in a particular gene does not predict the future. You can change which genes are active by following a healthy diet, proper vitamin supplementation, and leading a balanced lifestyle. It is important to combine this information with your medical history, your family’s medical history and your symptoms. We do not treat each individual gene mutation. Instead, we treat you as a whole person and try to achieve balance. Treatment recommendations will involve diet, supplements and lifestyle changes such as avoiding environmental toxins, reducing stress, etc. Treatments that help one person may cause side effects in another person, and some treatments that help initially may not be needed later. We may need to meet over several visits to adjust your plan.


To get the information and schedule an appointment, please follow the steps below to generate the report. A lot of questions come up after the first appointment. Since staff cannot answer questions about these complex issues, I have found it helpful to schedule a 15-30 minute phone consultation 1-2 weeks after our first visit so that I can answer any further questions and tweak our plan if needed. This will be included in the initial visit fee.  

IMPORTANT  **Please bring all of your medications, supplements and over-the-counter medications in the original bottles to your visit.**  I need the name of the product AND I need to see the ingredients and doses. (Just saying you take a B complex supplement is not adequate as the ingredients and dosages vary widely between manufacturers). If it is a refrigerated product, please write down the name, manufacturer and/or take pictures of the front label and the ingredient list so you do not have to bring the bottle with you.  If you have had side effects with particular supplements in the past, please try to write this down and bring this information with you or drop it off with the report.




Generating a genetics report


  • Go to www.23andme.com. Current cost is $199. It will provide raw data and also give you interesting ancestry information.
  • Order a test kit and follow the directions to complete the test. It usually takes 4-8 weeks to receive results. Once the results are complete, you will be able to download a raw data file.
  • There are some limited medical reports on the 23andMe site. These will be listed under Reports. Most of this is not particularly useful, but if you do have variants for any of the rare disorders, then give us that report. Most of these are very uncommon.

To download the raw data file from 23andMe:

  • Click on Tools on the upper part of your home page.
  • Scroll down to Raw Data and click on Browse Raw Data.
  • Click I Understand to agree that you may discover sensitive data.
  • Click download. This will allow you to download a raw data file onto your computer. Save it where you can find it. This data file is not in a useful format and you will need to use a second website to develop a gene variance report. There are several sites that do this and none of them are perfect. The two that I prefer are MTHFRsupport.com and LiveWello.com.  You will need to register and pay for the site and then follow the instructions to upload your raw data file.
  • If you use LiveWello.com, go to Genetics, then Genetics Tools and follow the prompts for the Gene Variance Report ($19.95). Print a copy of the Standard Variance Report once it is generated.
  • If you use MTHFRsupport, go to My Account to create an account ($30). Once you have done this, click on Sterling’s app and then click on Order Reports and follow the directions to upload your file and generate the report. Print a copy of the report.
  • Get us a copy of the report. I will look over it prior to your appointment, so we will require half of the visit fee at the time we schedule your appointment. The remainder will be due at the time of the visit.

*Color copies are best. If you can only print in black and white, please be sure the information is readable—sometimes the colored bars are too dark to read the information*


These websites do change their procedures, so the above information may not be current. If you have problems with these websites, please contact the website directly. Our staff cannot help with these issues.