Data Fueling Action
Integrated data can fuel actionable health interventions based on an individual’s genetic and blood profile, said Dr. Hood. For example, 90 of the pioneer participants in the wellness study show low vitamin D levels. Analyzing vitamin D levels is complicated, as six genetic variants block it. Patients with multiple variants may need higher doses of supplements, he said.
“Disease is still utterly, incredibly complicated, but analyzing disease at the level of the individual is necessary to understand disease,” said Dr. Hood. “Nutrition is still in the Dark Ages. N-of-one experiments will bring it out of the Dark Ages.” Gut microbiome testing also has enormous potential to predict disease risk and affect wellness, he said.
Armed with data on their disease risks, patients and their physicians could consider tailored health interventions. Integrated genomic data may one day identify an individual’s most effective weight-loss diet, for example.
“Your genome determines your potential, but not your destiny,” said Dr. Hood.
In the future, patients may take more responsibility for their own healthcare. “We will see a digitalization of medicine that will lead to the democratization of medicine,” said Dr. Hood. Smartphone technology could help level the playing field for medicine in the developing world as well. “We will elevate individuals to their highest level in the wellness well. We can use metrics to optimize individual wellness and maximize human potential.”
Susan Bernstein is a freelance medical journalist based in Atlanta.
