If you took the Ancestry DNA test, the Family Finder test from Family Tree DNA, or the Ancestry Only test from 23andMe, you did not receive any health-related information with your results. You may also have used another company that did not provide health information with your DNA Report. But you can get it at no charge! Even if you ordered the 23andMe test that contains health information you can still get more. By downloading your raw DNA data from your testing company and uploading the file to Promethease, you will get a report containing more health and personal traits than you will have time to read.
What is Promethease?
As stated in the Promethease page of the ISOGG Wiki, "Promethease is a computer program developed by the SNPedia team which allows users to compare personal genomics results against the SNPedia database, generating a report with information about a person's attributes, such as propensity to diseases, based on the presence of specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within their genome."
Promethease will compare your raw DNA data against its database of scientific journals and give you a report showing your mutations and possible medical implications. Please note the word "possible." Just because you have a mutation that may give you an increased likelihood to develop a disease, this does NOT mean that you will get this disease. Many times multiple mutations are required, and you may have some mutations that indicate an increased chance, and others that indicate you have a decreased chance. I have seen this so many times in my own report. Furthermore, life style, environmental, and other factors are all important. So don't panic!!
The Promethease report is FREE until December 31, 2017.
This report is for general information only; it is not a medical diagnosis. The Promethease report is definitely NOT for everyone. If you have a tendency to worry, or you don't want to know if you have a gene for a particular medical condition, do not order this report.
Please read the great article Promethease Promotion by Judy Russell, The Legal Genealogist.
See also the article Promethase is free until the end of 2017 by Roberta Estes, DNA Explained.
Now, if you've decided that you still want the report, we will first see examples of how to download your raw data.
How to download your raw data from 23andMe
Log into your 23andMe account, click Tools, then click Browse Raw Data at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
Next read the Raw Data Opt-In and click "I understand."
On the next screen you will see two options to download your data. Either click the Download tab, or click the blue download link.
When your are at the Download Raw Data screen, click "Submit Request" at the bottom.
Your download will begin processing, and you will receive an email when it is finished.
It will take several minutes for the email to arrive.
How to download your raw data from Ancestry DNA
Log into your Ancestry.com account. Click the DNA tab at the top of the screen, then click on "Your DNA Results Summary. "
Click the Settings box at the upper-right of your screen.
You will then see the Test Settings page. Download Raw DNA Data is at the right side of the screen. Click "Download Raw DNA Data."
Enter your ancestry.com password, check the box next to "I understand . . ." and click Confirm.
Your DNA data will begin processing, and you will receive an email when it is finished.
It will take several minutes for the email to arrive.
How to download your raw data from Family Tree DNA
Click the "myFTDNA " tab near the top of your screen, then click the down-arrow next to Family Finder
From the Family Finder list, click Download Raw Data.
Next, click the orange arrow next to "Build 37 Raw Data Concatenated" [Bottom left].
Your data will immediately be ready to download to your computer. Click Save File. The file will be saved to the location you have designated for downloads, usually your Downloads folder.
When you have your Raw DNA Data file
Go to https://www.promethase.com
Read and check all the boxes, then click "I agree."
You can either generate a report from one testing company, or you can generate a combined report for yourself using data from multiple testing companies. Each DNA testing company tests different regions of your chromosomes, so combining the data will give you everything in one report.
I will show you how to create a combined report using raw data files from Ancestry DNA, Family Tree DNA's Family Finder test, and 23andMe.
On your Promethease page, click Upload raw data.
Find your file on your computer. Your Ancestry DNA file will look like this:
Click the file name to upload it. When it has finished uploading, you can click Create Free Report. But instead we will upload a second file by clicking Upload additional data.
You will see the following screen letting you know that this option is to make a single report, not to make two reports for two different people.
Click Upload additional data
Your Family Finder file will look like this:
After the file has uploaded, click "Upload additional data" to add a third file.
Your 23andMe file will look like this:
When all the files have uploaded, click "Create free report."
Rename your file, and click "Begin Analysis."
What will your Promethease report show?
Your report will show both "good" and "bad" traits. I am going to show you two of my "bad" traits.
The position below indicated that I am a carrier of the cystic fibrosis gene. This one is genuine. I only know that because medical testing has confirmed this.
This is one of my favorite "bad" traits. What do I do with this one? It says I am "Bad at avoidance of errors." and "Doesn't learn from mistakes well."
Really? There's a gene for "doesn't learn from mistakes well"? I wonder who passed this gene to me. I don't have my father's DNA, so I can't do a report for him. I do have my mother's DNA, and I checked my mother's Promethease report. She has the same gene on her report.
How I would have loved to have known this when I was a child! I'm sure I would have tried to use it to get out of trouble. It wouldn't have worked, but I have no doubt that I would have tried. Oh, the many excuses I could have come up with as I was reprimanded:
Mom: "If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times . . ."
Me: "I can't help it, Mom. You know it's in our genes!"
Conflicting genetic information
As I mentioned before, there are some locations in your DNA that indicate that you have a greater chance of developing a particular trait or disease, and other locations that indicate that you have a lesser chance.
Here is one position within my genome that indicates that I have an increased chance of developing breast cancer.
Here is another position from the same report that indicates a reduced risk for breast cancer.
All of my genes don't give the same information, and neither do yours. Seek medical advice for any concerns.
Your report
Your report will contain lots of conflicting information, some questionable traits, and some information that you may desire to discuss with your doctor. Have fun with it! If you read this blog post after December 31, 2017, don't worry that the report may no longer be free. It's normally about five dollars!
