Proactive Heart Health Test

Genetic counsellors guide people in making important decisions around how genetics influences their health. They are not doctors, but are genetic specialists that are trained to identify, explore and explain genetic risk. They can help you be practically and emotionally prepared to make empowered choices that feel right for you.

At no additional cost, connect with your Eugene genetic counsellor to discuss your test results. They can help you understand your results, answer any questions and help you learn more about what your results mean for you.

No. Genetics is only one part of the heart health risk puzzle. Having a gene variant in one of the genes included on our test will increase your chance of developing a heart related condition, but not everyone who has a gene variation will develop a heart related condition in their lifetime. If the risk is detected early, there may be effective medical interventions and preventive treatments available to keep you healthy.

There are many other factors that contribute to your risk, including lifestyle factors like smoking and exercise. If a gene variant is identified on our test, your results will include information about the specific gene variation you carry and how it impacts your heart health so you can better understand your lifetime chance of developing that specific heart related condition.

In some cases this test could impact your ability to get life or income protection insurance.

Not impacted—

• Your ability to get health insurance
• Your existing life and/or income protection cover. However, if you want to take out cover or change your existing policy, this test may have an impact.
• Life and other insurances through super that are group policies and don’t take into account personal medical history.
• If your result doesn’t identify a gene variant then your insurance shouldn’t be impacted.

Could have an impact —

• If you want to take out cover or change your existing policy, this test may have an impact.
• On policies that do consider your medical history, like underwritten policies above certain coverage amounts (currently $500,000 for life insurance). If a gene variation that increases your heart health risk is identified before you have taken out cover, you may be denied cover, or have to pay a higher premium or have policy exclusions.

For more information about how life and other insurance products may be impacted by genetic testing, visit the Financial Services Council or the Center for Genetics Education website.

Your result will help you and your doctor determine any action strategies for prevention and early detection that might be appropriate for you.

You can learn more about that here.

Eugene’s heart health test includes a personalised clinical report that will have details about your results that you can share with your doctor. The clinical report is available for you when you receive your results.

There are expert genetic counsellors at Eugene available for you to speak to about your results at no additional charge. Genetic counsellors can help you understand your results, consider the next steps, and discuss how to share information with doctors and family.

From the moment we receive your saliva sample, the turnaround time to get your results are 3 to 6 weeks.

Absolutely! Each test comes with a post-test genetic counselling session. Your Eugene genetic counsellors are all trained and have practised across a number of specialties in addition to carrier screening and together with our consultant geneticists and widespread network of healthcare professionals, we make sure you’re always connected and supported.

As a healthcare company, we comply with the most stringent local and international privacy and security regulations. We take incredible care to use technical, process and physical safeguards to secure your personal information and protect it against misuse, loss or alteration.

Finally, Eugene doesn’t share any your data with anyone but you and (with your express permission) your doctor.

Absolutely! Even if you don’t have a family history you could still have a genetic risk that increases your own risk. Not everyone who carries an increased risk gene variant will develop a heart related condition, so not every family will have a history of heart related conditions. While gene variations that increase a person’s risk of a heart related condition are rare, knowing whether or not there’s one in you or your family could be lifesaving.

Your saliva sample is destroyed after 30 days. In unusual cases when testing takes longer than 30 days, the specimen will be retained until the report is delivered.

Absolutely! For most people with a family history of a heart-related condition, the results from the heart health test can provide reassurance and guidance on how to maintain their heart health.  This test may not be recommended for people who have a particularly strong family history of a heart-related condition, but don’t worry! If this is you, the Eugene team will contact you after carefully reviewing your family history.

If no genetic variation has been found in you, this result will not rule out a risk of developing a heart related condition in the future because genetics is only one part of the heart health risk puzzle. The Eugene heart health test does not cover all risks associated with heart related conditions. There are other factors like environmental, lifestyle and other genetic factors that play a part too. The personalised clinical report will provide ways someone can take control of their heart health to reduce the risk of a heart related condition in the future.