General practitioner José van Ditmarsch (HHH Praktijk Huizen) has been using the iGenius DNA dashboard since 2021 and is finding that there is an increasing demand for it. She uses the results, among other things, to advise patients and in consultation with pharmacists.
About the dashboard: “After logging in, you get a comprehensive overview of the different things the patient’s DNA has been examined for: methylation, detoxification, oxidative stress, hormones, neurotransmitters, vitamins, inflammation, etc. The green, orange or red dots show you at a glance which processes are working well and which are not doing so well.”
“You can also see the sensitivity to the development of certain medical conditions and how the patient processes medication. The latter is very important because, as a GP, you encounter many problems relating to this. At iGene, they research all this well and extensively, and you can clearly see that on the dashboard.”
“Finally, you get information about various personal traits such as sensitivity to gluten or alcohol, or tendency to form blood clots. I always have all the modules open because I don’t want to miss anything.”
Recommendations relating to medication, supplements and lifestyle
What does José do with the results of the DNA analysis? “Patients receive from me a comprehensive overview of what is working or not working so well. I link recommendations to this relating to medication, supplements and lifestyle. You can draw up a customised plan for each patient.”
“If you see, for example, that the COMT enzyme is not working so well, this may explain why a person is sensitive to stress. If I then give certain supplements that support, say, methylation and the degradation of neurotransmitters, such as magnesium, you can see this improving. It is also very illuminating if you can explain that sensitivity to stress is actually related to a physical cause in a person’s DNA.”
Collaboration with pharmacists
DNA analysis also adds value to the collaboration with pharmacists, says José. “Pharmacists can enter the abnormal CYP enzymes in the GP Information System (HIS) as a contraindication so that you, as a GP, are alerted when a medicine you want to prescribe is not a match for the patient’s abnormal CYP enzyme.”
“I have also arranged with various pharmacists that patients can see them to discuss their medication. People can have a lot of adverse reactions to medication such as heartburn medicines or medication to lower cholesterol. By using the iGenius DNA analysis, you can find out the causes and recommend other medicines that the body can process better.”
Tried various tests
About DNA tests in general: “There are several providers, but nowhere else do you get such clear and comprehensive results. I have tried various tests and the results are generally the same, but the information is often unreadable. Whole lists of anomalous pieces of DNA without an explanation – they are impossible to work with. The iGenius DNA dashboard is clear and uncluttered.”
Delving into the subject
Finally, José has a tip for other GPs wanting to work with DNA analysis: “To really understand everything, it is useful to delve into the subject a little yourself. That takes time, but it’s well worth the effort.”
“I have taken several courses myself, and I have also had a few phone consultations with iGene. It’s nice to have that backup in case you ever need it. That is a huge help, especially at the beginning.”