In addition to your environment, hereditary factors can also play a significant role in the development of diseases or the aging process. For this reason, it is crucial that we include both environmental and genetic factors in the Health Monitor.

That’s why we ask for your permission to extract your DNA from your blood sample and analyze it later. If you give consent, research will be conducted as part of initiatives like the Belgian Genome Biobank to explore how healthcare can better consider factors like your hereditary traits.

DNA, a treasure trove of information

DNA contains a wealth of information about various traits that make you unique, such as eye color or hair type. Beyond fun facts, it also contains information about your chances of aging healthily. However, DNA also contains many codes that we do not yet understand. There is also considerable uncertainty about the risk of age-related diseases based on your genetic material. Before we potentially cause unnecessary worry for healthy individuals in society, more research is needed. That’s why we want to help investigate whether, based on DNA, we can predict the onset of conditions like cancer earlier and more accurately with sufficient certainty.

Additionally, we want to explore whether we can tailor treatments better for people like you based on DNA. This means that even if we happen to discover something in the coming years, we won’t unnecessarily alarm you. Experts will assess whether the data provides sufficient certainty to indicate a certain condition that is not yet known but is treatable. As a participant, you can choose whether or not to be informed about this in advance. However, if you are looking for a diagnosis or care related to a hereditary condition, we will gladly refer you to a recognized Belgian center for human heredity, such as the Medical Genetics Department at UZ Gent.