Pathway Genomics is latest to hawk genome test

If 23andMe is appealing but you haven't yet taken the plunge, there's a new option from which to choose: Pathway Genomics, which has introduced new genetics testing service. The company called its test the "Pathway Fit" genetic test, and it looks at more than 75 genetic markers for information about things like one's metabolism and how certain types of exercise affect the individuals.

What users get is a "personalized nutrigenomic profile" with data relating to their particular body. Pathway is careful to say that its' data is for doctors to help their patients, however, likely to avoid the same troubles 23andMe experienced (and has continued to experience).

The idea is that access to this data will help consumers, potentially, determine how their particular genetics affect their life, as well as the kinds of exercise, diet, and nutrition one needs for optimal health. Pathway says that it developed the genetic test "with the global obesity issue in mind".

The catch with this genetic test, however, is that you have to have a "physician designated by Pathway" order it, unlike 23andMe. With the latter service, you can order your own test but, following government crackdowns, only receive the ancestry details and raw data. You'll have to take that raw data to a different service, then, to get it parsed into medical and health specifics.

If you can talk your doctor into it, the test costs $99 USD and can be ordered, oddly enough, through an iOS and Android app.

SOURCE: Yahoo Finance