How Your DNA Influences Metabolism & Hormonal Health
Your metabolism affects much more than how quickly you burn calories. MyHeritage DNA 360° sheds light on how your body may be genetically predisposed to regulate blood sugar, manage weight, and maintain hormonal and metabolic balance.
What your DNA results can help you do
Your results can highlight areas of your metabolic and hormonal health that may deserve closer attention, helping you make more informed choices and have more focused conversations with your healthcare provider.
Know what to monitor
Identify genetic tendencies related to blood sugar, thyroid function, kidney health, bone strength, and more, so you can discuss whether specific tests or screenings may be appropriate.
Focus your efforts
Use insights into appetite, weight, insulin function, and energy metabolism to help you and your healthcare provider identify lifestyle changes that may be especially relevant to you.
Take action on potential risks
If your results indicate an increased genetic risk for a condition such as type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or osteoporosis, you can explore steps that may help detect problems earlier or reduce other risk factors.
Explore metabolism and hormonal health reports
Explore metabolism and hormonal health reports
Reports include:
Type 2 Diabetes
Obesity and High BMI
Chronic Kidney Disease
Osteoporosis
Insulin Levels
GLP-1 Levels
Ghrelin Levels
Leptin Levels
Adiponectin Levels
TSH Levels
Free T3 (fT3) Levels
Free T4 Levels
Testosterone Levels
Estradiol Levels (Male)
Progesterone Levels
Adiponectin Levels
A hormone involved in fat and sugar metabolism, linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease.
Blood Sugar (GIP receptor)
The GIPR gene is responsible for encoding a protein with the same name, GIPR (gastric inhibitory polypeptide receptor). The GIPR gene and the protein it helps create play an important role in insulin production in the body.
Chronic kidney disease
Chronic kidney disease results when there has been damage to the kidneys that prevent them from filtering blood effectively. Over time, this can lead to build up of fluid and waste that may cause other problems, like heart disease or stroke.
CRHR1 (Stress/HPA Axis)
The CRHR1 gene encodes a receptor for CRH, the first hormone of the HPA axis. This receptor promotes anxiety, arousal, and depression upon activation.
Diet & Blood Sugar (melatonin receptor)
The MTNR1B gene provides instructions for making a receptor that responds to melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate our internal body clock, also known as the circadian rhythm. This rhythm controls our sleep-wake cycle and many other processes, including how our bodies manage blood sugar.
Erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is an inability to achieve or maintain an erection. It can be caused by issues with blood flow in the penis.
Fabry Disease
(GLA)
Fabry disease, also called Anderson-Fabry disease, is a rare X-linked genetic disorder caused by mutations in the GLA gene. It is the second most prevalent lysosomal disease after Gaucher disease.
Free T3 (fT3) Levels
A thyroid hormone involved in energy use and metabolism. Abnormal levels can indicate thyroid dysfunctions, affecting many.
Ghrelin Levels
Ghrelin is a hormone mainly produced by the stomach. Ghrelin is considered the "hunger hormone" because it stimulates appetite, promotes eating, and increases fat storage.
Growth Hormone
Growth hormone is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and regeneration. It is released during sleep, exercise, and fasting.
Insulin Levels
Insulin is a hormone that increases the uptake and storage of sugar in muscles, liver, and fat cells for energy production. By doing this, insulin lowers blood sugar levels.
Leptin Levels
A hormone from fatty tissue influencing satiety and weight control, with imbalances affecting weight and appetite.
Maturity-Onset of Diabetes of the Young
(HNF1A)
Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) is a rare form of diabetes that is typically diagnosed in adolescence or early adulthood. Unlike type 1 and type 2 diabetes, MODY is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in genes that are responsible for regulating insulin production in the pancreas.
Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency
(OTC)
Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency (OTC deficiency) is a rare X-linked recessive metabolic disorder caused by mutations in the OTC gene. OTC deficiency affects the urea cycle, a process that detoxifies ammonia in the liver, leading to the accumulation of ammonia in the blood, which can be toxic to the brain and other organs.
Ovarian cyst
A fluid-filled sac that develops on or in an ovary. Many form during ovulation and resolve on their own, but some can grow, rupture, or cause pain and bleeding.
PCOS
PCOS is a common condition that affects 6-9% of women of childbearing age. It's caused by hormonal imbalances that can lead to symptoms like irregular periods, acne, weight gain, excess facial or body hair, and hair loss on the scalp.
Susceptibility to malignant hyperthermia
Malignant hyperthermia is a severe reaction to particular drugs that are often used during surgery. Specifically, this reaction occurs in response to some anesthetic gases, which are used to block the sensation of pain, and with a muscle relaxant that is used to temporarily paralyze a person during a surgical procedure.
T3 (Triiodothyronine) Levels
The thyroid is a gland found in the front of the neck that produces thyroid hormones. T3 (triiodothyronine) is the active thyroid hormone.
Thyroid (deiodinase 1)
Based on the data from over 3,000 individuals, the researchers identified one variant, rs2235544, that correlates with low thyroid hormones. More precisely, carriers of the "A" allele have lower levels of T3, which is the active form of thyroid hormones.
Thyroid (peroxidase)
In a trial of 500 European subjects, one SNP in the TPO gene showed a significant association with Hashimoto's disease (HD). This form of autoimmune hypothyroidism was 31% more common among people with the minor 'T' allele at rs11675434.
Type 2 diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. With type 2 diabetes, the more common type, the body's cells become resistant to insulin.
Uterine fibroids
Uterine fibroids are benign growths that develop in the walls of the uterus. They can vary in size – some are so small that they can't be seen by the human eye, while others are so large that they can alter the shape of the uterus.
Weight/Blood Sugar (melanocortin)
The MC4R gene encodes the melanocortin 4 (MC4) receptor, which binds alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone or a-MSH. The primary location of this receptor is the brain, more precisely the hypothalamus, where it controls food intake, metabolism, reproductive behavior, and more.
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is a genetic condition that results in lower amounts of the protein AAT. This protein protects the body from damage caused by infection, inflammation, and irritants in the air like cigarette smoke.
Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatosis
(CYP27A1)
Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) is a rare, autosomal recessive lipid storage disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme sterol 27-hydroxylase, due to mutations in the CYP27A1 gene. A lack of this enzyme leads to the accumulation of cholestanol in tissues, most notably the brain, eyes, tendons and arteries.
Cortisol Levels
Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands — small glands on top of the kidneys. It is most widely known as a "stress hormone" that initiates the body's "fight-or-flight" response.
CRHR2 (Stress/HPA Axis)
The CRHR2 gene encodes another receptor for CRH. Contrary to CRHR1, the activation of CRHR2 receptors reduces anxiety, arousal, and depression.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue from the uterus lining grows outside of the uterus. It most commonly grows on the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, or the tissue lining the pelvis.
Estrogen receptor
A gene that helps make estrogen receptor alpha. Its variants are linked to a range of health conditions.
FKBP5 (Stress/HPA Axis)
The FKBP5 encodes an immune system protein that also regulates the sensitivity of glucocorticoid receptors, meaning that it may alter the way stress hormones affect the body. Variants with excess FKBP5 activity may reduce your ability to recover from stressful events and have been associated with stress-related psychiatric disorders like PTSD, depression, and bipolar disorder.
Free T4 Levels
Free T4 is a small fraction of the thyroid hormone thyroxine not bound to proteins. A high or low Free T4 usually indicates over- or underactive thyroid, respectively.
GLP-1 Levels
GLP-1 is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels by increasing insulin and decreasing glucagon.
Growth Hormone receptor
By far, the most widely-researched GHR polymorphism consists of the presence or absence of a region called the 'exon 3', which is located in the extracellular region of the receptor. The isoform lacking this region (deficient or d3-GHR) shows enhanced growth hormone signaling compared to the isoform including it (full-length or fl-GHR).
Irregular menstrual cycle/bleeding
In a narrow sense, irregular periods are cycles that are shorter than 21 days, are longer than 35 days, or vary greatly in length. Up to 25% of women experience period irregularities.
Malignant Hyperthermia
(RYR1, CACNA1S)
Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) is a rare, life-threatening autosomal dominant disorder triggered during general anesthesia by volatile anesthetic agents (such as halothane, sevoflurane, and desflurane) and succinylcholine, a depolarizing muscle relaxant. This condition is primarily associated with mutations in the RYR1 and CACNA1S genes.
Obesity and High BMI
Obesity occurs when a person has an excessive amount of body fat. Most individuals that are obese also have a high body mass index (BMI) which is the ratio of their weight to their height.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition that develops when bone mineral density or bone mass decreases. This causes the bones to become weak and leads to an increased risk for bone fractures or breaks.
Overactive Thyroid (Hyperthyroidism)
In some people, the thyroid produces too much of these hormones. This condition is called hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid).
Pompe Disease
(GAA)
Pompe disease (also known as glycogen storage disease type II) is a rare, inherited metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA), due to mutations in the GAA gene. In Pompe disease, the lack of GAA leads to the accumulation of glycogen, particularly in the muscles, including the heart and respiratory muscles, which causes progressive muscle weakness and respiratory difficulties.
Symptomatic menopause
Symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, and mood changes that occur as estrogen levels decline. Genetics may influence when menopause starts and how severe the symptoms are.
T4 (Thyroxine) Levels
T4 (thyroxine) is a more abundant but less active thyroid hormone. Its breakdown releases active T3.
Thyroid (deiodinase 2)
However, many people have symptoms of low thyroid hormones despite their lab results being in the normal range ('hidden hypothyroidism'). That might be because their thyroid hormones don't function well on a cellular and tissue level, which cannot be measured by blood tests.
TSH Levels
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), also known as thyrotropin, is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland — a small gland at the base of the brain. TSH stimulates the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones (T3 and T4).
Underactive Thyroid (Hypothyroidism)
If the thyroid does not produce enough of these hormones, the whole body may suffer ill effects. This condition is known as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).
Weight/Blood Sugar (adiponectin)
The ADIPOQ gene encodes the protein hormone adiponectin. This hormone is the most abundant gene product of fat cells and acts as a messenger molecule in other tissues, especially in the muscles and liver.
Weight/Leptin Resistance
A gene that plays a role in appetite and metabolism. Its variants are linked to weight changes.
Explore all 46 reports
How It Works
1
Order Online
Your DNA 360° kit arrives to your home
2
Collect & Return
A 2-minute cheek swab, then mail it back to our lab for sample analysis
3
Results Are Ready
Access detailed, easy-to-understand reports online
The only DNA test you need
MyHeritage DNA 360° uses 30x Whole Genome Sequencing to provide clear, actionable insights into your health, wellness, genetic origins, and more.
Order nowExplore what’s included
Copyright © 2026 MyHeritage Ltd.
The MyHeritage DNA 360° test is for informational purposes only. It is not a diagnostic test and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.