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Romy Raves

A Lifestyle, Beauty & Fashion Blog for Women 40+

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40 Plus· 40 Plus Wellness· Health & Wellness· Lifestyle

Invitae: Helping You Screen for Hereditary Heart Conditions at Home

This post is sponsored by Invitae and SHE Media

Invitae is a leading medical genetics company committed to making genetic testing accessible and affordable to anyone who could benefit

Invitae is a leading medical genetics company committed to making genetic testing accessible and affordable to anyone who could benefit

Amidst all of the concerns caused by the coronavirus, please don’t forget about taking care of the rest of your body too. Following is a post that I recently wrote about being proactive about your heart health:

Last month, I attended #BlogHer20 Health in Los Angeles. During this wellness-oriented conference I attended a very insightful and informative panel on heart health and how to better understand your risks for heart disease. This enlightening panel was sponsored by Invitae, a leading medical genetics company whose mission is to make comprehensive genetic health information more mainstream.

Invitae is a leading medical genetics company committed to making genetic testing accessible and affordable to anyone who could benefit

Since I am a woman over age 50 and know that heart disease runs in my family, I was very interested in attending this panel and getting tips and insights to help me better understand and manage my risks for hereditary heart conditions. Some of the most important things that I learned from the panel were:

  • Your genes can unlock valuable information about your health, including your risks for hereditary cancers and heart disease
  • Understanding your genes allows you to be more proactive about your health, like taking the right medications and talking to your doctor about getting the appropriate screening
  • Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S.
  • Inherited heart conditions can sometimes be missed through normal check-ups, like blood work and stress tests
  • To better understand your genetic predisposition towards certain diseases, when you get together with family make a point of interviewing them about your health/family health history and risks

Upon further investigation for this post, I learned that Invitae’s medical-grade genetic tests are the same tests trusted by doctors around the world and that patients can initiate these tests directly from their website. In addition to providing medically actionable and affordable genetic tests, Invitae also provides patients with access to a genetic counselor who can answer any of their questions, help them understand results, and help create an action plan.

While doing my research for this post, I also learned a lot about heart health and inherited cardio conditions like:

  • Heritable cardio conditions are not rare, but they are underdiagnosed
  • 20% of early heart attacks are caused by hereditary high cholesterol
  • Heart health is impacted by a combination of lifestyle and your genes
  • An Invitae Cardio Screen looks at 77 genes to help determine your risk of developing an inherited form of cardiovascular disease

After the informative panel and learning about the genetic cardio screening that Invitae offers, I realized that being healthy is so much more than eating the right foods and exercising. By being proactive and undergoing genetic heart screening, you can determine your risk factors in advance and take steps to prevent or treat heart disease before it becomes a much bigger problem. In order to truly understand our bodies and prepare for a healthy future, we should have a clear picture of our genetic risks in order to make informed decisions for our future health.

Invitae is a leading medical genetics company committed to making genetic testing accessible and affordable to anyone who could benefit

As part of this collaboration, I also had the opportunity to do an Invitae Cardio Health Genetic Screening and I wanted to share my experience with you. My test-taking experience was simple and easy to do at home and it wasn’t at all intimidating or time consuming because I didn’t have to visit a doctor’s office. You start your order online and answer a few questions about your personal and family health history. That information is reviewed by a clinician to make sure this test is right for you. Then, they send you a pre-labeled vial and postage-paid box and they give you clear instructions for submitting your saliva sample. Once you have submitted and sealed your sample, you send it back to Invitae’s lab in a pre-paid box and a few weeks later you receive your results via email, that’s it!

Regardless of the results, Invitae offers genetic counseling as part of the testing process so that you are able to completely understand your results and decide whether further medical follow-up is needed. I was completely comfortable with the entire testing process and was impressed with the thorough and professional follow-up and consultation services provided. It’s nice to know that Invitae’s high-quality genetic screening tests are accessible to all of us and that we all have the ability to take charge of our own health before the onset of genetically passed down diseases unnecessarily manifest themselves in our lives.

How would you live your life differently if you knew that you were predisposed to a certain genetic disease?

 

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03.23.20 41 Comments

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Comments

  1. Natalie says

    March 28, 2020 at 2:27 am

    Sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing this. I wast aware testing like this exist. Good to know.

    Reply
  2. Krystel | Frugal Living says

    March 25, 2020 at 8:29 am

    I love learning about different types of screening that can help us detect issues early on. I don’t know anyone who has had a heart attack

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 25, 2020 at 10:19 am

      Me too, they can really make such a difference in our lives

      Reply
  3. yana says

    March 25, 2020 at 5:53 am

    it’s really good the world changes and our technogy too, as in compare with past century we can do more and more with our health and to stay safety .

    Reply
  4. Knycx Journeying says

    March 25, 2020 at 2:33 am

    Thanks for bringing this issue to our attention and these days we are getting more and more (and even more) health conscious, looking forward to your future post and sharing on this. – Knycx Journeying

    Reply
  5. Anna says

    March 25, 2020 at 2:26 am

    Thanks for raising awareness of this important issue! I´ve never heard of Invitae’s medical-grade genetic tests, although there were heart disease cases in my family, so it would be great to keep it under control for myself!

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 25, 2020 at 10:23 am

      Really glad I could make you aware of Invitae’s incredible genetic testing services

      Reply
  6. Subhashish Roy says

    March 25, 2020 at 12:52 am

    Very useful piece of information when it comes to heart care. So many people are diagnosed at an advanced stage because they do not test after observing some unusual symptoms. Tests available at home is such a great thing for elderly.

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 25, 2020 at 10:23 am

      Yes these services are life saving

      Reply
  7. Claudia Krusch says

    March 24, 2020 at 8:13 pm

    So important to take care of your health! Loved reading your post and learning about the event!

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 25, 2020 at 10:24 am

      So delighted tom share it with you my friend

      Reply
  8. Fatima Torres says

    March 24, 2020 at 12:22 pm

    Always take care of yourself. If you don’t who will? Glad you’re sharing this message for others.

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 24, 2020 at 6:06 pm

      It all starts with us first, doesn’t it?

      Reply
  9. the joyous living says

    March 24, 2020 at 12:20 pm

    i have a lung disease and wish they screened for those more regularly. it’s so cool you were able to get a sponsored post out of attending a conference.

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 24, 2020 at 6:08 pm

      Wouldn’t it be great if the majority of illnesses could be screened like this?

      Reply
  10. Lisa Joy Thompson says

    March 24, 2020 at 6:15 am

    It’s amazing what technology is doing for our health. I love that invitae makes it easy to be proactive in taking care of your heart health. Also, your outfit in this post is amazing!!!

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 24, 2020 at 11:27 am

      Awww thanks, I tried to make it positive and uplifting. I am super impressed with how accessible medical resources like this are becoming

      Reply
  11. Ntensibe Edgar Michael says

    March 24, 2020 at 5:54 am

    Well, I would love to test out myself as many times as possible. Also, keep exercising whenever I grab the opportunity.

    Reply
  12. Toni says

    March 24, 2020 at 4:46 am

    This is really informative and helpful. I think it’s time that we should be aware of our health.

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 24, 2020 at 11:28 am

      Yes, this information is critical to our health and longevity

      Reply
  13. Catalina says

    March 24, 2020 at 2:00 am

    Thank you for sharing these info with us! I would like to know the health condition of my heart and my relative’s.

    Reply
  14. Stefani Tolson says

    March 23, 2020 at 9:11 pm

    I need to get in the doctor one day to make sure everything is good with my heart.

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 24, 2020 at 11:29 am

      The best thing is that you can do these tests from the comfort of your own home

      Reply
  15. Sara | mshealthesteem.com says

    March 23, 2020 at 8:28 pm

    This is so helpful for anyone with heredetary heart conditions! It’s great that it can be done at home. Thank you for sharing ♡

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 24, 2020 at 11:30 am

      It feels so good to share resources like this

      Reply
  16. Shahrom Martijn says

    March 23, 2020 at 8:05 pm

    Wow. I didn’t know checking out hereditary heart conditions can be done at home! Thanks for this.

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 24, 2020 at 11:30 am

      So happy to enlighten you!

      Reply
  17. Kathy says

    March 23, 2020 at 7:39 pm

    There is a lot I learned here. I think it’s great that you can do a test. I should probably do this myself. I’ve had some family members with heart conditions.

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 24, 2020 at 11:31 am

      If heart disease runs inn your family, it’s a good idea to get tested

      Reply
  18. Heather says

    March 23, 2020 at 4:56 pm

    I need to look into this. We do have heart conditions in our family and I’m curious about screening.

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 23, 2020 at 5:16 pm

      I am really glad to introduce Invitae to you, I hope you find it helpful

      Reply
  19. Emily says

    March 23, 2020 at 4:19 pm

    I expect i will have this problem as I get older as both my grandparents had heart problems and has been passed down to my Mum and Auntie with high blood pressure.

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 23, 2020 at 5:17 pm

      This screening can give you very valuable insight

      Reply
  20. Christine Weis says

    March 23, 2020 at 4:15 pm

    Oh, wow! This is interesting. I sure would like to know if I had any genetic diseases and I certainly would live differently if I knew about them. Thanks for this information.

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 23, 2020 at 5:18 pm

      I agree, knowing in advance is the best defense

      Reply
  21. Marcie W. says

    March 23, 2020 at 2:32 pm

    I think I would be a prime candidate for genetic testing. Both my grandmother and her father suffered heart attacks at 50. I would like to know where I stand.

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 23, 2020 at 5:19 pm

      You are the perfect candidate for Invitae’s early detection tests

      Reply
  22. Tara Pittman says

    March 23, 2020 at 1:44 pm

    I like that I can do this test at home. I am not leaving the house right now so having this come to me is awesome

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 23, 2020 at 5:19 pm

      Yes, it’s the perfect time for remote screnings

      Reply
  23. Ronnie says

    March 23, 2020 at 1:10 pm

    Wow, I didn’t know that heart disease was so prevalent in the country, especially among women! A genetic test is imperative to find out how at risk we all are..

    Reply
    • Romy says

      March 23, 2020 at 5:20 pm

      So happy ton help raise your awareness 🙂

      Reply

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