I was thinking about that DNA analysis from the other day when I discovered I was completely resistant to the Plasmodium vivax malaria. I was thinking that I hadn’t asked my little AI buddy if anything else was interesting in my DNA test results.

And guess what!?

I ALSO have resistance to that deadlier form of malaria – Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

My DNA has an ‘AG’ result for CD36 (rs1136410). That’s a heterozygous result, meaning I inherited one variant (rather than two for that Duffy null variant).

What this gene does:

• CD36 is a fatty acid transporter on red blood cells
• The G allele provides resistance to severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria (the deadly type)
• It’s under strong positive selection in West/Central Africa

Frequency:

• Europeans with AG: ~10-15%
• West Africans with AG: ~40%
• West Africans with GG: ~30-40%

(By the way, please enjoy the picture above of Janet and me from a birdfeeding mission completed on this sunny but cold afternoon! Janet – you’re blog famous again!)

I decided to look at my health markers too. 23andMe had previously highlighted that I have an increased risk for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. My AI analysis said the same, but also that I had something it considered much more significant. Here is my report that Claude, my AI buddy, generated for me:

---

The Most Interesting Health Findings:

🔴 HIGHER ATTENTION AREAS:

1. Alzheimer’s Disease (APOE ε3/ε4)

• One ε4 allele = ~2-3x risk
• About 25% of people have this
• NOT a guarantee – lifestyle matters hugely!

2. Coronary Artery Disease (9p21 region)

• You have multiple risk variants in the strongest heart disease gene region
• This is actually more concerning than the Alzheimer’s risk
• But very responsive to lifestyle interventions!

3. Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

• One major risk variant (CFH)
• Moderate risk of age-related blindness
• Preventable with UV protection, antioxidants, no smoking

4. Blood Clotting (Factor V Leiden)

• One copy = slightly increased clotting risk
• Be aware for: long flights, surgery, pregnancy

---

🟢 GREAT NEWS – PROTECTIVE GENETICS:

1. Type 2 Diabetes – EXCELLENT!

• You have the protective version of TCF7L2 (the strongest diabetes risk gene!)
• Very favorable diabetes genetics overall

2. Blood Type O

• Lower cardiovascular risk
• Lower clotting risk
• Protective for heart attacks

3. Personality/Behavior:

✅ Balanced stress response (COMT AG)

✅ High empathy (OXTR GG)

✅ Low addiction risk (DRD2 GG)

---

The Irony:

You’re immune to malaria (African genes) but at higher risk for:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Heart disease
• Macular degeneration

These are primarily “diseases of civilization/longevity” – your African ancestors gave you malaria immunity, but your European ancestors gave you modern disease risks!

---

Then it got even more interesting!

Additional Fascinating Findings From Your DNA

🏆 TOP HIGHLIGHTS – Really Interesting Discoveries

1. FOXO3 Longevity Gene: TT ⭐⭐⭐

Your genotype: TT (homozygous)

This is HUGE!

• TT is associated with EXCEPTIONAL LONGEVITY
• Found at high frequency in centenarians (people who live past 100)
• You have TWO copies of the “long life” variant
• Associated with:
  • Longer lifespan
  • Better aging outcomes
  • Protection against age-related diseases
  • Better health in old age

This partially offsets your APOE ε4 Alzheimer’s risk!

• FOXO3 promotes cellular repair and longevity
• May help mitigate some age-related disease risks
• Gives you genetic advantage for healthy aging

Combined with your profile:

• APOE ε4 = higher Alzheimer’s risk
• FOXO3 TT = exceptional longevity genes
• Result: You might live long, so brain health is extra important!

---

2. Pain & Opioid Response: AA 🩺

OPRM1 (rs1799971): AA

What this means:

• ✅ Better response to opioid pain medication
• ✅ Lower opioid requirements for pain relief
• More effective pain management with lower doses

Clinical relevance:

• If you ever need pain medication (surgery, injury), you likely respond well
• May need lower doses than average person
• Good to know for medical procedures

---

3. Sleep & Circadian Rhythm 😴

Multiple interesting findings:

CLOCK Gene (rs1801260): GG

• NOT a night owl!
• GG = Morning preference (“lark” chronotype)
• You’re genetically programmed to be a morning person
• Do you naturally wake up early and prefer mornings?

ABCC9 Sleep Duration (rs11121022): AA

• Shorter sleep duration
• May need less sleep than average (~6 hours vs 8)
• “Short sleeper” genotype

Does this match your experience? Do you function well on 6-7 hours of sleep and prefer mornings?

---

4. Drug Metabolism – IMPORTANT FOR MEDICAL CARE 💊

CYP2C19 (antidepressant/Plavix metabolism):

• rs4244285: AG (intermediate metabolizer)
• rs12248560: CT (intermediate ultrarapid metabolism)
• Net result: Normal to slightly fast metabolism

CYP2D6 (psychiatric drugs, codeine):

• rs1065852: AG (intermediate metabolizer)

Warfarin sensitivity:

• CYP2C9*2: CC (normal)
• CYP2C9*3: AA (normal)
• You have normal warfarin metabolism (if you ever need blood thinners)

What this means:

• Standard doses of most medications should work fine
• If prescribed antidepressants: likely respond normally
• Plavix (blood thinner) would work normally
• Codeine/opioid pain meds work well (from OPRM1 above)

IMPORTANT: Save this for medical records! Pharmacogenomic data can help doctors prescribe the right dose.

---

5. Omega-3 Conversion: TT (POOR) 🐟

FADS1 (rs174547): TT

What this means:

• ❌ Poor conversion of plant omega-3s (ALA) to active forms (EPA/DHA)
• You likely NEED fish oil or eat fatty fish more than most people
• Plant sources (flaxseed, walnuts) won’t give you enough omega-3s

Practical advice:

• Eat fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel) 2-3x/week
• OR take fish oil/algae oil supplements
• Don’t rely on plant omega-3s alone

This is actually important for:

• Brain health (especially with your APOE ε4!)
• Heart health (your 9p21 risk)
• Inflammation

---

6. Asparagus Pee Smell: YOU CAN SMELL IT! 👃

rs1726866: AA

This is hilarious but scientifically interesting:

• ✅ You CAN smell asparagus metabolites in urine
• Most people (GG) cannot smell it
• You have the “asparagus anosmia” detection gene

Fun fact: About 40% of people can produce the smell, but only 20-40% can detect it. You’re a “super smeller” for this particular compound!

---

7. Bone Health: EXCELLENT 🦴

LRP5 variants:

• rs9594759: TT (HIGHER bone density)
• rs3736228: CC (HIGHER bone density)

What this means:

• ✅ Genetically protected against osteoporosis
• ✅ Strong, dense bones
• Lower fracture risk in old age

This is great news, especially combined with FOXO3 longevity genes!

---

8. Hair Graying: Early 👴

KITLG (rs12821256): TT

Bad news:

• TT = Earlier graying tendency
• You’re genetically programmed to go gray earlier than average

Do you have gray hair already? This would explain it!

---

9. Hemochromatosis Carrier Status 🩸

HFE (rs1799945): CG

What this means:

• You’re a CARRIER for hemochromatosis (iron overload)
• CG = One copy of H63D variant
• You don’t have the disease (would need two copies)
• Not clinically significant for most people

Should you worry?

• Probably not – carriers are common (~20% of Northern Europeans)
• If you have unexplained fatigue or joint pain, worth checking iron levels
• Otherwise, not a concern

---

10. Inflammation Profile: MIXED 🔥

IL6 (rs1800795): GG

• Higher inflammatory response
• May have more inflammation after exercise/injury
• Slower recovery from workouts

BUT:

IL10 (rs3024505): GG

• Lower anti-inflammatory response
• Combined with high IL6 = pro-inflammatory profile

CRP (rs20417): CC

• Lower C-reactive protein
• Counterbalances the IL6/IL10 findings

What this means:

• You may have more post-exercise soreness
• Recovery from injuries might be slower
• Anti-inflammatory diet could help (omega-3s, Mediterranean diet)
• Explains importance of your FADS1 finding – you NEED fish oil!

---

11. Vitamin D: Moderate Levels ☀️

VDR (rs1544410): CT

• Moderate vitamin D receptor efficiency

GC/DBP (rs7041): AC

• Affects vitamin D transport

What this means:

• You may need moderate vitamin D supplementation
• Living in Dawson City, Yukon (far north!) = definitely need vitamin D in winter
• Not the worst genetics, but not the best

Recommendation: Get your vitamin D levels checked and supplement as needed (especially important in Yukon!)

---

12. Exercise Response: ENDURANCE BIAS 🏃‍♀️

PPARGC1A (rs8192678): CT

• Intermediate endurance response
• Not the best (GG) but not the worst (AA)

ACTN3 (already knew): CT

• Mixed sprint/endurance

AGT Blood Pressure (rs699): TT

• Greater blood pressure response to exercise
• Your BP drops more with exercise training

Combined profile:

• Moderate endurance training response
• Mixed sprint/endurance capability
• Exercise is especially good for your blood pressure
• Given your heart disease genetics (9p21), exercise is CRITICAL for you!

---

🎯 SUMMARY OF NEW INSIGHTS

🟢 REALLY GOOD NEWS:

1. ⭐⭐⭐ FOXO3 TT – Exceptional longevity genetics!
2. ✅ Strong bones – High bone density genetics
3. ✅ Good pain management – Respond well to opioid medications
4. ✅ Morning person – Natural lark chronotype
5. ✅ Normal drug metabolism – Standard doses work fine

🟡 INTERESTING/ACTIONABLE:

1. 🐟 Poor omega-3 conversion – NEED fish oil or fatty fish
2. ☀️ Vitamin D – Monitor levels (important in Yukon!)
3. 💤 Short sleeper – May function well on less sleep
4. 🔥 Pro-inflammatory – Anti-inflammatory diet important
5. 👃 Asparagus super-smeller – Hilarious but true!

🔴 WATCH:

1. 👴 Earlier graying – TT genotype (cosmetic only)
2. 🩸 Hemochromatosis carrier – Monitor iron if symptomatic
3. 🏃‍♀️ Moderate endurance response – Training still helps, just not genetic advantage

---

💡 THE BIG PICTURE

Your DNA tells a fascinating story:

From Your African Ancestors:

• Malaria immunity (Duffy null + CD36)
• Survival adaptations

From Your European Ancestors:

• Longevity genes (FOXO3)
• Strong bones (LRP5)
• Blue eyes, light skin
• Northern European traits

Your Unique Profile:

• Protected against: Malaria, diabetes, bone loss, addiction
• Higher risk for: Alzheimer’s, heart disease, AMD, inflammation
• Special needs: Fish oil (poor omega-3 conversion), vitamin D
• Advantages: Longevity genes, good pain response, strong bones