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DNA-Informed Health: What Your Genes Can and Cannot Tell You

A clinician explains what DNA health tests can tell you about metabolism, skin, hair, ageing and exercise, and how to use the results well.

DNA

Dr. Sunee Kim

9/30/20269 min read

Personalised health is everywhere this year. Watches track sleep, apps log blood sugar, and "biological age" has moved from research labs into everyday conversation. The Global Wellness Institute's 2026 trends report notes that ideas such as biological age, inflammation and metabolic health are now mainstream, while researchers caution that many new longevity tools are still early-stage.[1

DNA testing sits in the middle of this trend. It is often sold as the key to a perfect diet or a younger body. As a clinician, I find the real picture more useful than the hype. Your genes can add genuine information to your care. How much they help depends on how the results are used.

What a DNA health test actually reads

Most DNA health tests look at SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). These are tiny spelling differences at a single point in your genetic code. Research has linked many of them to differences in how the body looks or works. One common variant, for example, affects how quickly you break down caffeine. Another decides whether you keep digesting lactose (milk sugar) as an adult.

Our tests use a painless cheek swab taken in clinic. The laboratory then reads selected panels of these variants linked to:

  • how your body metabolises nutrients, and how this relates to inflammation, food intolerance, and your risk of heart and metabolic problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity

  • acne, scarring and response to skin treatments

  • response to hair loss treatments

  • exercise, recovery and injury risk

  • cellular ageing, measured through telomere length

Two facts help keep any result in perspective

Many traits are strongly inherited. Twin studies suggest that 40 to 70 percent of the variation in body mass index between people is genetic.[2] For acne, a UK study of female twins found that about 80 percent of the variation was explained by genes.[3]

Each variant usually has a small effect. The best-known weight gene variant, in a gene called FTO, is linked with about 2 to 3 kg higher weight in people who carry two copies. It explains only around 1 percent of the inherited part of BMI.[2] Your genetic profile is built from many small nudges rather than one switch.

From insight to action

Getting a result is the easy part. The big step is turning that insight into change, whether it is finding the most suitable medicine for your skin or hair loss, bringing down your cholesterol, or managing your weight. People who come wanting to understand their bodies, and ready to make a change, tend to gain the most from testing.

Research shows why the plan around the result matters. A 2016 BMJ review of 18 trials found that telling people their DNA-based risk, on its own, had little effect on smoking, diet or physical activity.[4] In the large European Food4Me trial, personalised nutrition advice improved eating habits more than generic advice, and adding genetic results on top of diet and blood test information did not make the advice more effective.[5]

So genetic results work best together with your personal and family history, a clinical examination and blood tests. These turn a report into practical steps, and follow-up checks that the steps are working. This is how we use them at Origene.

Where genetics adds the most

In my clinical view, genetic results are most useful in three situations.

1. Choosing and fine-tuning treatment

Some variants affect how your body activates, processes or tolerates a medicine or nutrient. This is called pharmacogenetics, and it is where a genetic result can change a prescription. In our clinic it helps guide:

  • Hair loss treatment: whether minoxidil is likely to be activated well in your scalp, and how you may respond to treatments that act on hormones, anti-inflammatory treatments and growth-supporting ingredients.

  • Acne and scar treatment: how you are likely to process or tolerate some antibiotics, oral and topical retinoids such as isotretinoin, and other topical treatments, plus your tendency to scar or develop dark marks, which shapes how early and firmly we treat.

  • Nutritional supplements: which vitamins and minerals deserve a blood test first, and, where a need is confirmed, the form and dose that suit you.

2. Ruling something out

Almost everyone with coeliac disease carries one of two gene types, HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8. If you carry neither, coeliac disease is very unlikely.[6]

Carrying them is a different story. About 30 to 40 percent of people have these genes, yet only around 3 percent of carriers go on to develop coeliac disease.[6] The genes are needed for the disease but are not enough on their own, and they account for only about 40 percent of the inherited risk.[7] Other genes, environmental triggers, and possibly epigenetic effects (changes in how strongly a gene is switched on) also play a part. Researchers are still working out exactly how. Doctors call this pattern, where a gene does not always lead to the condition, incomplete penetrance.

So a positive result means coeliac disease is possible, not present. If you have symptoms, you still need a coeliac blood test while you are eating gluten.

3. Explaining patterns a blood test cannot show

How quickly you clear caffeine,[8] how your body handles alcohol, whether you keep digesting lactose as an adult, and how you tolerate fructose are inherited traits that stay the same for life. Knowing them can explain why a food or drink suits a friend but not you.

How each test is used in practice

Metabolism, weight and food tolerance

This panel looks at more than 100 variants across 15 areas of nutrient metabolism. The main areas are:

  • Blood fats: how your body handles LDL ("bad") cholesterol, HDL ("good") cholesterol and triglycerides, and how your cholesterol responds to different types of dietary fat and to refined carbohydrates.

  • Blood sugar: fasting glucose, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes risk.

  • Eating behaviour: hunger, fullness (satiety), appetite hormones such as leptin and ghrelin, and a tendency to emotional eating.

  • Food tolerance: lactose, coeliac risk genes, fructose, caffeine and alcohol.

  • Inflammation: genes for inflammatory messengers (TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-10) that influence how easily inflammation is triggered in your body.

  • Weight: tendency to weight gain, metabolic rate and rebound weight gain after dieting.

In practice, it helps answer questions such as:

  • Is a lower-fat, lower-carbohydrate (including ketogenic-style) or calorie-controlled approach more likely to suit you?

  • Should you limit caffeine or alcohol?

  • Is further testing for coeliac disease worthwhile, or is it very unlikely?

  • Which nutrients deserve a blood test before any supplement is considered, such as iron, magnesium, selenium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin B6 or folate?

Our approach is food first. The report translates your genetic results into a colour-coded list of food ingredients, grouped by nutritional type, built on recommendations developed by doctors, nutritionists and pharmacists. I interpret it together with your blood results and health history to guide a DNA-informed eating plan. Where a blood test confirms a need, we add supplements at a dose suited to you, because more is not always better.

Acne-prone skin and scarring

This panel looks at around 60 variants linked to oil production, pore blockage, inflammation, hormone-related acne, scarring, and dark marks after spots (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation).

It also includes genes that affect how some acne medicines are processed or tolerated, including some antibiotics, oral and topical retinoids such as isotretinoin, and topical treatments. For example, some variants are linked with a higher chance of isotretinoin raising blood fats, which helps us plan monitoring. The aim is a good clinical outcome with fewer side effects.

If your profile shows a higher tendency to scar or mark, we treat active acne earlier and more consistently, and add strict sun protection and pigment care. Controlling inflammation early is the most reliable way to prevent lasting marks. The genetic result supports your skin assessment and never replaces it.

Hair loss treatment response

This panel does not predict whether you will lose hair. It looks at genes that may influence how you respond to hair loss treatments. That matters because each treatment needs around six months before you can judge it. Widely used minoxidil treatment helps only about 30 to 40 percent of users, and response has been linked to the activity of a scalp enzyme (SULT1A1) that switches minoxidil on.[9]

Evidence for genetic hair loss panels is still developing. Most studies are small, many come from test developers, and there is no large independent trial yet. We use the results to help decide where to start, then judge treatment by how your hair actually responds. The test is not suitable for scarring types of hair loss, which need specialist assessment.

Biological ageing (telomeres)

Telomeres are protective caps on the ends of your chromosomes, and they shorten as cells divide. A review covering more than 43,000 people found that shorter telomeres in blood cells were linked with a higher risk of coronary heart disease, independent of the usual risk factors. The link with stroke was less certain.[10] Research into telomeres and other age-related chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, is ongoing.

Telomere testing has real limits. Length varies between cell types and between laboratories, and the common measurement method (qPCR) has enough variation that small differences are not meaningful.[12] Telomere specialists have warned that stand-alone consumer tests can mislead and even frighten people.[11] So we never use this result on its own. We use it as a prompt for a proper heart and metabolic health check, and as motivation for the changes with the strongest evidence: stopping smoking, regular exercise, good sleep, a balanced diet and managing stress. If you re-test, we look at the trend over years rather than small changes between tests.

Exercise, recovery and injury risk

This panel looks at 25 variants linked to power and endurance tendencies, aerobic fitness, recovery, inflammation, blood pressure response and soft-tissue injury. The best-studied example is ACTN3, a gene for a protein found in fast-twitch muscle. Elite sprinters are more likely to carry the version that produces this protein.[13]

Sports genetics experts have been clear that genetic tests should not be used to identify talent or select young athletes.[14] So we use this panel for a narrower purpose. If your profile suggests slower recovery or higher tendon injury risk, we build in more recovery, gradual loading and strength work, and share the plan with your coach or physio. It helps fine-tune a programme. It does not choose your sport.

Before you test

  • These are not tests for disease. They assess genetic predispositions and do not replace screening, standard medical tests or specialist genetic testing for inherited conditions.

  • Privacy. Your information is handled under the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020. Your sample is analysed by an accredited laboratory overseas, and we explain how it is stored before you consent.

  • Insurance. In New Zealand, insurers can currently ask about genetic test results you already have. The Contracts of Insurance Act 2024 created a way to regulate this, but consultation had not begun as of September 2026.[15] If you plan to apply for life, income-protection or health cover, consider arranging it before you test.

  • One test is enough for genes. Your DNA does not change, so genetic panels are done once. Telomere length can change, so it can be measured again.

How it works at Origene

  1. Book a consultation. We discuss your goals and health history, complete a questionnaire and arrange blood tests if needed.

  2. Give a cheek swab in clinic. It takes a minute and is painless. Your sample travels to an accredited laboratory by biosecurity-controlled courier.

  3. Review your results at a follow-up about five weeks later. We go through your report together and agree a practical plan, with prescriptions if appropriate.

Combining tests. Some tests work well together. Pairing the metabolism and food tolerance test with the hair loss, telomere or exercise test links your nutrition plan with your treatment, healthy-ageing or training plan. We discuss which combination, if any, makes sense for you at your first consultation.

Putting it together

Your genes are one part of your health story. A DNA report read on its own is interesting. Read alongside your history, a clinical assessment, blood tests and follow-up, it can help you make better-informed decisions about food, skin, hair, training and healthy ageing.

If you would like to know whether DNA-informed care suits you, book a consultation. We will talk through what testing could add for you, and whether it is worth doing at all.

Dr Sunee


This article is general health information and does not replace personal medical advice. Origene provides clinician-led genomic health services. Genetic findings indicate predispositions and support clinical assessment. They do not replace it, and are not used as the sole basis for clinical decisions. A service by Dr Sunee Kim, MBChB/BSc (Otago), FRNZCGP, Diploma NZSCM, Postgraduate Certificate in Allergic Disease and Skin Cancer, HMX Certificate of Achievement in Genetics (Harvard Medical School), MCNZ registered.

References

  1. Global Wellness Institute. Aging Well Initiative trends for 2026. 3 April 2026. globalwellnessinstitute.org

  2. Genetics and epigenetics of obesity. Review article, PubMed Central PMC3213306. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3213306

  3. Bataille V, Snieder H, MacGregor AJ, Sasieni P, Spector TD. The influence of genetics and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of acne: a twin study of acne in women. J Invest Dermatol. 2002;119(6):1317-22. ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/12163

  4. Hollands GJ, French DP, Griffin SJ, et al. The impact of communicating genetic risks of disease on risk-reducing health behaviour: systematic review with meta-analysis. BMJ. 2016;352:i1102. doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i1102

  5. Celis-Morales C, Livingstone KM, Marsaux CF, et al. Effect of personalized nutrition on health-related behaviour change: evidence from the Food4Me European randomized controlled trial. Int J Epidemiol. 2017;46(2):578-88. doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyw186

  6. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Celiac Center. Genetics (gene testing) fact sheet. bidmc.org; and University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust Pathology. HLA-DQ2 and DQ8. pathology.uhsussex.nhs.uk

  7. Original article on HLA typing in the coeliac disease diagnostic algorithm. Rev Esp Enferm Dig. 104(5). scielo.isciii.es

  8. Cornelis MC, El-Sohemy A, Kabagambe EK, Campos H. Coffee, CYP1A2 genotype, and risk of myocardial infarction. JAMA. 2006;295(10):1135-41. doi.org/10.1001/jama.295.10.1135

  9. Pietrauszka K, Bergler-Czop B. Sulfotransferase SULT1A1 activity in hair follicle, a prognostic marker of response to the minoxidil treatment in patients with androgenetic alopecia: a review. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2022;39(3):472-8. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9326921

  10. Haycock PC, Heydon EE, Kaptoge S, et al. Leucocyte telomere length and risk of cardiovascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2014;349:g4227. doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g4227

  11. Science News. At-home telomere testing is not a reliable marker of aging, researcher says. sciencenews.org

  12. Telomere length calibration from qPCR measurement: limitations of current method. PubMed Central PMC6262465. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6262465

  13. Yang N, MacArthur DG, Gulbin JP, et al. ACTN3 genotype is associated with human elite athletic performance. Am J Hum Genet. 2003;73(3):627-31. researchportalplus.anu.edu.au

  14. Webborn N, Williams A, McNamee M, et al. Direct-to-consumer genetic testing for predicting sports performance and talent identification: consensus statement. Br J Sports Med. 2015;49(23):1486-91. doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-095343

  15. Newsroom. The insurance penalties for taking life-saving genetic tests. 2 September 2026. newsroom.co.nz

© Dr S Kim 2026