Carson City residents can check DNA as part of project

The Healthy Nevada Project is expanding and its next stop is Carson City.

On July 10, Carson City residents can get their DNA tested for free as part of the statewide health study.

Renown Health, which is conducting the project with the Desert Research Institute, is using the data to map out the state’s health status and steer people toward preventive care rather than diagnosis and treatment.

In return, participants will receive background on their ancestry and a chance to use their genetic information to guide health decisions.

“Participants will, of course, have their DNA sequenced at no cost to them by the DNA sequencing company Helix, who has the largest and most cutting-edge DNA tech on the planet. Participants will receive a genetic ancestry report from National Geographic called Geno 2.0 as a thank you for participating in our study,” said Albert Brain, team leader, Renown. “Participants also have the option to be contacted in the future if we find anything in their genome that could be potentially harmful to their health.”

Brain said the first two areas of genetic risk studied will be Familial Hypercholesterolemia, a genetic defect that makes the body unable to remove low density lipoprotein cholesterol from the blood, and cancer risks associated with BRCA1/2 mutations, which can lead to breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Brain said 70 people had already registered for testing in Carson City, but he was expecting up to 120 participants and walk ins were welcome.

The testing is taking place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Renown Medical Group, 3641 G.S. Richards Blvd. To book an appointment, go online to HealthyNV.org or call 775-982-6914.

The Healthy Nevada Project was launched in 2016. The pilot phase tested 10,000 Nevada residents. The second phase, which includes Carson City, will add another 30,000 participants. The project has tested residents in Fernley, Gardnerville/Minden, Lovelock, Tonopah, Winnemucca, and Yerington.

“Healthcare organizations around the country are moving from solely providing care inside hospital walls to improving health outcomes across communities,” said Dr. Anthony Slonim, president and CEO of Renown Health and president of Renown Institute for Health Innovation in a press release. “It starts with health literacy, and this is the largest health literacy project in the country.”