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This is the genetic connection between hypochondriac anxiety and health

Link between Hypochondriac Healthy Anxiety and Your Genetic Makeup - HealthCodes DNA
Table of Content:
Hypochondriasis is a mind-body disorder characterized by fear of imagined physical-health problems, such as cancer or stroke. These fears can be so extreme and debilitating that they cause sufferers to avoid going out and engaging with the world. Though there are some slight differences in how hypochondriacs and people with no diagnosis deal with their conditions, both groups suffer from believing they have severe health or disease linked with their genetic makeup. In this post, you’ll learn whether there’s a connection between hypochondriac diseases and your genetic makeup with a possible treatment for this health anxiety…

What makes you a Hypochondriac?

Hypochondria is a severe mental disorder that affects many people worldwide. The main sign of hypochondria is constant worry about the disease. Usually, these fears are unfounded and begin with minor signs such as headaches, indigestion, or fatigue. Typical signs of hypochondria include constant headaches, chest and back pain, nausea, stress, fatigue, abdominal pain, constipation, and dizziness. Hypochondriac is always convinced that they are sick, and no piece of persuading will convince them. They keep investigating and thinking about these signs or what they might lead to. They often visit the doctor complaining of “phantom” complaints and still refuse to believe it when the doctor tells them there is nothing wrong with their tests. The signs of hypochondriasis are similar to those of other anxiety disorders but usually focus on a specific body part or a specific sensation the individual is experiencing. The most important thing is that the hypochondriac won’t give up and not let the doctor tell them that nothing is wrong.

What is the root cause of hypochondria Health Anxiety?

The term “hypochondria“ comes from the Greek word hypochondria, which means “below the cartilage (of the breastbone). root cause of hypochondria Health Anxiety - HealthCodes DNA When hypochondria first appeared in English at the end of the 16th century, the term referred to the upper abdomen. Hypochondria often occurs when a person is stressed, seriously ill, in constant pain, recovering from severe health, or suffering from grief over losing loved ones. Anxiety can be exacerbated by a concurrent general medical condition related to a genetic predisposition in people who are anxious about their health. Other causes include Perceptual disturbances that lead to an increase in normal feelings. They have learned that the disease has apparent benefits, such as attracting attention. Hypochondria can occur in people who are sick or have a sibling with childhood health. Some experts also believe that a poor understanding of bodily sensations and health may cause hypochondria. Sufferers may think severe health causes their bodily sensations.

Are you born with hypochondria, hereditary, or learned Behavior?

Although the exact cause is yet to be known, it is believed that people with this health anxiety are more likely to have a family member who is also a hypochondriac. Perhaps the person with health anxiety has experienced severe health and fears that the bad experience may be repeated. In addition, experts believe that behaviors instilled in childhood are likely to persist into adulthood and help shape beliefs about the world around them. However, hypochondria can be passed on genetically. Hypochondriacs are often cautious about their health and have lived with anxiety and fear. It is simply a condition they are born with. It may also result from a traumatic event in a person’s life that has caused them to feel unsafe. Finally, hypochondria may be associated with other psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). Psych agranulocytosis may develop from or be a sign of these other disorders.

What are the traits of a hypochondriac?

Signs and symptoms of hypochondria: – Being preoccupied with having or getting a severe disease or health condition. – Worrying that minor signs or body sensations mean you have severe health. – Being easily alarmed about your health status – Finding slight or no relief from physician visits or opposing test results – Thinking a lot about having severe health. – Seeing a doctor many times but not accepting reassurances. – seeking out lots of medical tests. – talking about health a lot with friends and family. – Spending hours on the internet studying signs. – Having problems sleeping.

Is it a hypochondriac mental illness?

Hypochondria is not a joke but a severe mental disorder that many people face. Is a hypochondriac mental illness - HealthCodes DNA Patients usually worry incessantly about nothing, which puts them under unnecessary stress. If they think they have severe health that could lead to death, their minds and bodies suffer greatly. Hypochondriacs take the observation of changes in your body to a new level. They perform regular self-examinations and spot the slightest signs. They then self-diagnose by looking for diseases that even remotely match the signs they find, which they usually claim are very life-threatening. And because they don’t believe they are truly healthy, they don’t value their health, which significantly impacts their lives. Living in constant fear is not a good thing!

Who is most likely to have hypochondria?

Nearly 10 percent of the U.S. population suffers from hypochondria, either on one side or the other of the spectrum. Still, only one percent of the population exhibits severe and extensive symptoms. Their symptoms are usually prevalent in their early twenties. Hypochondriasis may occur once or several times or remain continuous throughout life. Women and men seem to have no predominance over each other and are equally affected. Culture plays an important role, and different cultures experience different variations of hypochondriasis. Prevalence also varies from culture to culture. The University of California conducted a comprehensive study to identify hypochondriacs and found that Americans, Italians, and Greeks were the most likely to suffer from the disorder. The study explains that these groups divert the problems in the form of medical illnesses. Although the study gives a good insight into the situation, the accuracy of the questionnaire and the population sample must be considered. Cultures that disapprove of body ailments and view physical distress as a sign of weakness and inadequacy are less likely to have many cases of hypochondria. These people are not absolved of any responsibility, regardless of their medical problems. Apart from this, various professions also play a role in developing this disorder.

Why do people suffer from hypochondria?

Some factors that contribute to this illness anxiety disorder may include: – A time of significant life stress. – Threat of a severe illness that turns out not to be serious. – History of abuse as a child. – Disturbance in perception such that normal sensations are magnified. – Having learned the apparent benefits of being sick, such as receiving attention. – Hereditary – Hypochondriasis may occur in an individual with a childhood illness or a sibling with a childhood illness.

Hypochondriac Diagnosis Steps

Hypochondriac Diagnosis - HealthCodes DNA Medical experts often first detect a patient’s psychosis when the patient does not accept a negative test result or when new illnesses or symptoms appear regularly. The next step is to refer the sufferer to a mental health professional or psychologist. Diagnosis of hypochondriasis is usually made only by examination and rarely by scans or medical tests.

Hypochondria signs in Adults

Signs and symptoms of Hypochondria in Adults: – Being preoccupied with having or getting a severe disease or health condition. – Feeling disturbed that minor health symptoms or body sensations mean you have a severe illness. – Being easily alarmed about their health situation. – Finding slight or no relief from doctor visits or negative test results.

Hypochondria signs in Kids

Signs and symptoms of Hypochondria in kids: – Being sure that they are sick, even if they have no symptoms of illness. – Constantly checking their body for signs of being sick. – Being afraid of physical activities like sports because they think they will hurt themselves. – Constantly seeking answers to different ailments

Are hypochondria and OCD Related?

Health concerns Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a subtype of OCD that causes someone to have obsessive beliefs about developing a serious medical condition. hypochondria and OCD Related - HealthCodes DNA The experiences of a person with OCD Health concerns are irrational and exaggerated, which creates the need to perform compulsions to cope. While some people’s obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) focuses on their health, this health-related anxiety, called hypochondriasis, is not a form of OCD. OCD can involve thoughts and concerns that are not related to the illness. Although there are patients whose hypochondriacal concerns are qualitatively identical to the intrusive thoughts of OCD patients, as a group, patients with hypochondriasis do not have a comorbidity profile comparable to that of OCD patients.

Is there any connection between hypochondria and your DNA?

According to Dr. Bauer, the study suggests hypochondria are moderately heritable, with up to 30% of heritability due to genetic factors. This is less than other mental disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, where the environmental component is less pronounced. While some researchers conclude that anxiety is genetic, environmental factors may also influence pressure. Also, it is possible to have fear without it running in the family. Yet we do not know much about the link between genes and anxiety disorders, and more research is needed.

Best Treatment for hypochondria

In many cases, hypochondriacs are well-informed about the disease, its symptoms, various medical conditions, and treatments. This is because they are often obsessed with medicine, researching on the Internet or in medical books. Best Treatment for hypochondria - HealthCodes DNA As a result, hypochondria can sometimes be very difficult to treat. There is no natural medicine for a fictitious disease. A person who believes they are ill cannot be cured by medication. However, if a hypochondriac is aware of his condition, he can do something to overcome it. One effective way to do this is to keep a diary when you feel particularly anxious about your illness. This is an easy method to keep track of and can help you identify the triggers of your hypochondriac episodes. Once you understand what triggers your anxiety, you will be better able to deal with those triggers. Effective hypochondriac treatment requires, first and foremost, freedom from anxiety. You must be able to control your thoughts and emotions.

Conclusion…The fact to know about this health panic

Hypochondriac health panic is a severe mental disorder affecting millions globally. HealthCodes DNA can help you overcome hypochondriac health scares by taking a series of genetic tests and improving your knowledge about your body. By taking the tests and finding out what is causing your symptoms, you can take control of the situation, create a healthier lifestyle and treat the underlying causes of your symptoms to improve your health anxiety. Click here to learn more about our different health products and how we can help you stop worrying about your health and start a healthy lifestyle!

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  1. Key Definitions
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  3. Anonymized Information: information that has been stripped of your Registration Information (e.g., your name and contact information) and other identifying data such that you cannot reasonably be identified as an individual.
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    2. Genetic Information: information regarding your genotype (e.g. the As, Ts, Cs, and Gs at particular locations in your genome), generated through processing of your saliva by HealthCodes DNA or by its contractors, successors, or assignees; or otherwise processed by and/or contributed to HealthCodes DNA.
    3. Self-Reported Information: all information about yourself, including your disease conditions, other health-related information, personal traits, ethnicity, family history, and other information that you enter into surveys, forms, or features while signed in to your HealthCodes DNA account.
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Please review this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service. By using our Services, you agree to all of the policies and procedures described in the foregoing documents. HealthCodes DNA, LLC is referred to herein as HealthCodes DNA (or “we,” “us,” “our”) and includes all of our commonly owned companies.

  1. What information we collect
    1. Information you provide directly to us
    2. Registration Information.When you register an account with us or purchase our Services, we collect personal information, such as your name, date of birth, billing and shipping address, payment information (e.g., credit card) and contact information such as your email and phone number.
    3. Self-Reported Information.You have the option to provide us with additional information about yourself through surveys, forms, features or applications. For example, you may provide us with information about your personal traits (e.g., eye color, height), ethnicity, disease conditions (e.g. Type 2 Diabetes), other health-related information (e.g. pulse rate, cholesterol levels, visual acuity), and family history information (e.g. information similar to the foregoing about your family members). Where you are disclosing information about a family member, you should make sure that you have permission from the family member to do so.
  • User Content. Some of our Services allow you to create and post or upload content, such as data, text, software, music, audio, photographs, graphics, video, messages, or other materials that you create or provide to us through either a public or private transmission (“User Content“). For example, User Content includes any post or message you place on HealthCodes DNA’s community forums.
  1. Blogs. Our website may offer publicly accessible blogs or community forums. You should be aware that any information you provide in these areas may be read, collected, and used by others who access them. To request that we remove or anonymize your personal information from our blog or community forum, contact us at info@HealthCodesDNA.com. Please note that whenever you post something publicly, it may sometimes be impossible to remove the information, for example, if someone has taken a screenshot of your posting. Please exercise caution before choosing to share personal information publicly on our blogs, community forums or in any other posting. Note also that you may be required to register with a third-party application to post a comment. To learn how the third-party application uses your information, please review their privacy statement.
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  3. Referral Information and Sharing. When you refer a person to HealthCodes DNA or choose to share results information with another person, we will ask for that person’s email address. We will use the email address solely, as applicable, to make the referral or to share your results information, and we will let your contact know that you requested the communication. By participating in a referral program or by choosing to share information with another person, you confirm that the person has given you consent for HealthCodes DNA to communicate (e.g., via email) with him or her. The person you referred may contact us at info@HealthCodesDNA.com to request that we remove this information from our database. For more information on our referral program, contact us at support@HealthCodesDNA.com.
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  3. Information related to our genetic testing services
  1. Saliva sample and bio-banking. To use our genetic testing services, you must purchase, or receive as a gift, a HealthCodes DNA wellness kit, register an online account, and ship your saliva sample to our third-party laboratory. Once received, your saliva sample will be identified by its unique barcode, along with your gender and your year of birth. The barcode label identifies you to us but not to our third-party laboratory. Your saliva samples and DNA are destroyed after the laboratory completes its work, unless the laboratory’s legal and regulatory requirements require it to maintain physical samples.
  2. Genetic Information. Genetic Information refers to features of your DNA that distinguish you from other people (e.g. the As, Ts, Cs, and Gs at particular locations in your genome) and is generated when we analyze and process your saliva sample, or when you otherwise contribute or access your Genetic Information through our Services. Genetic Information includes the HealthCodes DNA Results information reported to you as part of our Services, and may be used for other purposes, as outlined in Section 4 below.

 

  1. Information collected through tracking technology (e.g. from cookies and similar technologies)

Web Behavior Information. We and our third-party partners use cookies and similar technologies (such as web beacons, tags, scripts and device identifiers) to help us recognize you, customize and improve your experience, provide security, analyze usage of our Services (such as to analyze your interactions with the results, reports, and other features of the Service), gather demographic information about our user base, to offer our products and services to you, to monitor the success of marketing programs, and to serve targeted advertising on our site and on other sites around the Internet. We and our third-party partners do not use your sensitive information, such as Genetic Information and Self-Reported Information for targeted advertising. We may receive reports based on the use of these technologies by these companies on an individual as well as aggregated basis. Users can control the use of cookies at the individual browser level. If you reject cookies, you may still use our site, but your ability to use some features or areas of our site may be limited.

As is true of most websites, we gather certain information automatically and store it in log files. This information may include internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, operating system, date/time stamp, and/or clickstream data. We may combine this automatically collected log information with other information we collect about you, such as your user profile ID or order number. We do this to improve services we offer you, and to improve marketing, analytics, and site functionality.

When you access our Service by or through a mobile device, we may receive or collect and store a unique identification numbers associated with your device or our mobile application (including, for example, a UDID, Unique ID for Advertisers (“IDFA”), Google Ad ID, or Windows Advertising ID), mobile carrier, device type, model and manufacturer, mobile device operating system brand and model, phone number, and, depending on your mobile device settings, your geographical location data, including GPS coordinates (e.g. latitude and/or longitude) or similar information regarding the location of your mobile device.

Because HealthCodes DNA relies on third-party ad networks who may track you across websites over time for advertising purposes, we are not able to respond to your selection of the “Do Not Track” option provided by your browser. We cannot advise on whether your selection of “Do Not Track” option will have any effect on the collection of cookie information by the third-parties who collect such cookie information on our site.

Third-parties with whom we partner to provide certain features on our site or to display advertising based upon your Web browsing activity use Flash Cookies (Local Shared Objects) to collect and store information. To learn how to manage privacy and storage settings for Flash cookies click here.

Google Analytics. Google Analytics is used to perform some of the tasks listed above. We use the User-ID feature of Google Analytics to combine behavioral information across devices and sessions (including authenticated and unauthenticated sessions). We have enabled the following Google Analytics Advertising features: Remarketing, Google Display Network Impression Reporting, Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting, and DoubleClick Campaign Manager integration. We do not merge information collected through any Google advertising product with individual-level information collected elsewhere by our service. Learn more about how Google collects and uses data here. To opt out of Google Analytics Advertising Features please use Google Ad Settings or the links provided in section 2.b.c.ii (“Targeted advertising” service providers). To opt out of Google Analytics entirely please use this link.

  1. Other Types of Information.

We are always working to enhance our Services with new products, applications and features that may result in the collection of new and different types of information. We will update our privacy statement, as needed.

  1. How we use and share information

HealthCodes DNA will use and share your personal information with third-parties only in the ways that are described in this privacy statement.

  1. Using information to provide, analyze and improve our Services

We use the information described above in Section 3 to operate, provide, analyze and improve our Services. These activities may include, among other things, using your information in a manner consistent with other commitments in this privacy statement, to:

  1. open your account, enable purchases and process payments, communicate with you, and implement your requests (e.g., referrals);
  2. host our website, run our mobile application(s), authenticate your visits, provide custom, personalized content and information, and track your usage of our Services;
  • conduct analytics to improve and enhance our Services;
  1. offer new products or services to you, including through emails, promotions or contests;
  2. implement online marketing campaigns and targeted advertising, including by utilizing third-party ads (subject to your cookie settings and preferences), and to measure the effectiveness of our marketing and targeted advertising;
  3. conduct surveys or polls, and obtain testimonials;
  • process and deliver your genetic testing results;
  • perform research & development activities, which may include, for example, conducting data analysis and research in order to develop new or improve existing products and services, and performing quality control activities.

You may be able to opt-in, opt-out or otherwise adjust your preferences of having your information used for certain of these activities. Please see below to learn more.

We use mobile analytics software to allow us to better understand the functionality of our Mobile Software on your phone. This software may record information such as how often you use the application, the events that occur within the application, aggregated usage, performance data, and where the application was downloaded from. We do not link the information we store within the analytics software to any personally identifiable information you submit within the mobile application.

  1. Using information with your consent

You have the choice to participate in HealthCodes DNA Research by providing your consent. “HealthCodes DNA Research” refers to research aimed at publication in peer-reviewed journals and other research funded by the federal government (such as the National Institutes of Health – NIH) conducted by HealthCodes DNA. HealthCodes DNA Research may be sponsored by, conducted on behalf of, or in collaboration with third-parties, such as non-profit foundations, academic institutions or pharmaceutical companies.  HealthCodes DNA Research may study a specific group or population, identify potential areas or targets for therapeutics development, conduct or support the development of drugs, diagnostics or devices to diagnose, predict or treat medical or other health conditions, work with public, private and/or non-profit entities on genetic research initiatives, or otherwise create, commercialize, and apply this new knowledge to improve health care. HealthCodes DNA Research uses your aggregate or individual-level Genetic Information and Self-Reported Information as specified in the Terms of Service.

Consent process for research. Your Genetic Information and Self-Reported Information may be used for HealthCodes DNA Research only if you have consented to this use by completing a Research Initiatives Consent Document. If you have completed a Research Initiatives Consent Document:

  1. Your aggregated, de-identified Genetic Information may be used for either philanthropic or commercial research purposes as set forth more fully the Research Initiatives Consent Document.
  2. When your Genetic Information and Self-Reported Informationis being used for research purposes, it will not be linked to your Registration Information.
  1. Withdrawing your Consent.You may withdraw your consent to participate in HealthCodes DNA Research Initiatives at any time by emailing us at support@healthcodesdna.com. HealthCodes DNA will not include your Genetic Information or Self-Reported Information in new research occurring after 30 days from the receipt of your request. Any research involving your data that has already been performed or published prior to our receipt of your request will not be reversed, undone, or withdrawn. If you withdraw your consent for research your Genetic Information and Self-Reported Information may still be used by us and shared with our third-party service providers to provide and improve our Services (as described in Section 4.a), and shared as Aggregate Information that does not identify you as an individual (as described in Section 4.d).
  2. What happens if you do NOT consent to HealthCodes DNA Research?If you do not complete a Research Initiatives Consent Document or any additional consent agreement with HealthCodes DNA, your information will not be used for HealthCodes DNA Research Initiatives and you will not be able to use HealthCodes DNA Services.
  1. Recruiting for external research

Academic institutions, healthcare organizations, and other groups are always conducting interesting new research projects. We want to make you aware of these opportunities. While we do not share individual-level Genetic Information or Self-Reported Information with third-parties without your consent, from time to time we may inform you of third-party research opportunities for which you may be eligible. For example, if a university tells us about a new cancer research project, we may send an email to HealthCodes DNA members who potentially fit the relevant eligibility criteria based on their Self-Reported Information to make them aware of the research project and provide a link to participate with the research organization conducting the study.

  1. Information we share with third-parties
  • . General service providers.We share the information described above in Section 3 with our service providers, as necessary to provide their services to us. Service providers are third-parties (other companies or individuals) that help us to provide, analyze and improve our Services. For example, we work with third-party laboratories and contractors to process and analyze your saliva sample for purposes of generating your Genetic Information

NOTE: Our service providers act on HealthCodes DNA’s behalf. While we implement procedures and contractual terms to protect the confidentiality and security of your information, we cannot guarantee the confidentiality and security of your information due to the inherent risks associated with storing and transmitting data electronically.

When you purchase a testing kit and report from HealthCodes DNA, you are instructed to send a saliva sample to our third-party laboratory with a unique barcode label. The unique barcode identifies you to us but not to the laboratory. We may also be required to provide to the laboratory, your sex and date of birth or age pursuant to clinical laboratory requirements such as the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA). No other Registration Information such as your name, address, email, phone number or other contact information) is required or provided to the laboratory. The receiving personnel at the laboratory will remove and discard your “sender information” from the packaging (e.g., name, address) before testing personnel receive the samples for processing. Receiving personnel do not perform testing, and testing personnel handle saliva samples that are labeled only with the unique barcode. DNA and saliva samples are destroyed after the laboratory completes its work, provided that laboratory legal and regulatory requirements no longer require the actual samples to be maintained. A de-identified copy of genotyping data may be kept in accordance with CLIA. The laboratory securely sends the resulting Genetic Information to our third party reporting company along with your unique barcode. Genetic Information is stored securely on our servers; the laboratory also stores your Genetic Information, but again, labeled only with the barcode.

  • “Targeted advertising” service providers.We may permit third-party advertising networks and providers to collect Web Behavior Information on our Service to help us to deliver targeted online advertisements (“ads”) to you. They use cookies and similar technologies (such as JavaScript, beacons, device identifiers, location data, and clear gifs) to compile information about your browser’s or device’s visits and usage patterns on our Services and on other websites over time, which helps to better personalize ads to match your interests, and to measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns.

If you wish to not have this information used for the purpose of serving you targeted ads, you may be able to opt-out of many advertising networks by visiting here and here (if you are located in Canada, click here; or if you are located in the European Union click here). Please note this does not mean that you have opted-out of being served advertising. You will continue to receive generic ads.

  • Aggregate information.We may share aggregate information with third-parties, which is any information that has been stripped of your Registration (e.g., your name and contact information) and aggregated with information of others so that you cannot reasonably be identified as an individual (“Aggregate Information”). This Aggregate Information is different from “individual-level” information. Individual-level Genetic Information or Self-Reported Information of data about a single individual’s genotypes, diseases or other traits/characteristics information. For example, Aggregate Information may include a statement that “30% of our female users share a particular genetic trait,” without providing any data or testing results specific to any individual user. We may provide such Aggregate Information in commercial arrangements with our business partners. In contrast, individual-level Genetic Information could reveal whether a specific user has a particular genetic trait, or all of the Genetic Information about that user. HealthCodes DNA will ask for your consent to share individual-level Genetic Information or Self-Reported Information with any third-party, other than our service providers as necessary for us to provide the Services to you.
  • Information we share with commonly owned entities.We may share some or all of your information with other companies under common ownership or control of HealthCodes DNA, which may include our subsidiaries, our corporate parent, or any other subsidiaries owned by our corporate parent in order to provide you better service and improve user experience. We may provide additional notice and ask for your consent if we wish to share your information with our commonly owned entities in a materially different way than discussed in this Privacy Statement.
  1. Disclosures required by law

Under certain circumstances your information may be subject to disclosure pursuant to judicial or other government subpoenas, warrants, or orders, or in coordination with regulatory authorities, we may be required to disclose personal data in response to lawful requests by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements. HealthCodes DNA will preserve and disclose any and all information to law enforcement agencies or others if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such preservation or disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (a) comply with legal or regulatory process (such as a judicial proceeding, court order, or government inquiry) or obligations that HealthCodes DNA may owe pursuant to ethical and other professional rules, laws, and regulations; (b) enforce the HealthCodes DNA Terms of Service and other policies; (c) respond to claims that any content violates the rights of third-parties; or (d) protect the rights, property, or personal safety of HealthCodes DNA, its employees, its users, its clients, and the public.

NOTE: If you are participating in HealthCodes DNA Research, HealthCodes DNA will withhold disclosure of your personal information involved in such research in response to judicial or other government subpoenas, warrants or orders in accordance with any applicable Certificate of Confidentiality that HealthCodes DNA and/or any of its third party providers has obtained from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). There are limits to what the Certificate of Confidentiality covers so please visit the Certificates of Confidentiality Kiosk ( https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/coc/index.htm).

  1. Your choices
  2. Access to your account

If your Registration Information changes, you may access, correct or update most of it from your Account page. You may also modify and delete certain of your information. Please note that you may not be able to delete User Content that has been shared with others through the Service and that you may not be able to delete information that has been shared with third-parties, though we can work with you to prohibit your data from being shared with third-parties in the future. We will respond to your request to access within 30 days.

  1. Marketing communications

By registering for an account, you are agreeing that we may send you promotional emails about our Services. You can opt-out of such emails by clicking the “unsubscribe” button at the bottom of any of our or third-party promotional email communications. Please note that you may not opt-out of receiving non-promotional messages regarding your account, such as technical notices, purchase confirmations, or Service-related emails.

  1. Information you choose to share with others

You may decide to disclose your personal information to friends and/or family members, doctors or other health care professionals, and/or other individuals outside of our Services, including through third-party services such as social networks and third-party apps that connect to our website and mobile apps through our application programming interface (“API”). These third-parties may use your personal information differently than we do under this Privacy Statement. Please make such choices carefully and review the privacy policies of all other third-parties involved in the transaction. For example, if you have enabled a HealthCodes DNA sharing feature with another person who downloads a third-party app that uses our API, your information may also be obtained by that third-party app developer and, potentially, by other users of that third-party app.

In general, personal information, once shared or disclosed, can be difficult to contain or retrieve. HealthCodes DNA will have no responsibility or liability for any consequences that may result because you have released or shared personal information with others.

  1. Account closure

If you no longer wish to participate in our Services or no longer wish to have your personal information be used, you may close your account by sending a request to support@healthcodesdna.com. When closing an account, we remove all Genetic Information within your account (or profile) within thirty (30) days of our receipt of your request. As stated in any applicable Consent Document, however, Genetic Information and/or Self-Reported Information that you have previously provided and for which you have given consent to use in HealthCodes DNA Research cannot be removed from ongoing or completed studies that use the information. Our contracted genotyping laboratory may also retain your Genetic Information as required by local law and we may retain backup copies for a limited period of time pursuant to our data protection policies. In addition, we retain limited Registration Information related to your order history (e.g., name, contact, and transaction data) as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services, as well as for accounting, audit and compliance purposes.

  1. Important Information
  2. Security measures

HealthCodes DNA takes seriously the trust you place in us. To prevent unauthorized access or disclosure, to maintain data accuracy, and to ensure the appropriate use of information, HealthCodes DNA uses a range of physical, technical, and administrative measures to safeguard your Personal Information. In particular, all connections to and from our website and mobile application are encrypted using Extended Validation Secure Socket Layer (EV SSL) technology.

Please recognize that protecting your Personal Information is also your responsibility. We ask you to be responsible for safeguarding your password, secret questions and answers, and other authentication information you use to access our Services. You should not disclose your authentication information to any third-party and should immediately notify HealthCodes DNA of any unauthorized use of your password. HealthCodes DNA cannot secure Personal Information that you release on your own or that you request us to release.

Your information collected through the Service may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which HealthCodes DNA or its subsidiaries, affiliates or service providers maintain facilities and, therefore, your information may be subject to the laws of those other jurisdictions which may be different from the laws of your country of residence.

  1. Business transactions

In the event that HealthCodes DNA goes through a business transition such as a merger, acquisition by another company, or sale of all or a portion of its assets, your information will likely be among the assets transferred. In such a case, your information would remain subject to the promises made in any pre-existing Privacy Statement.

  1. Linked websites

HealthCodes DNA provides links to third-party websites operated by organizations not affiliated with HealthCodes DNA. HealthCodes DNA does not disclose your information to organizations operating such linked third-party websites. HealthCodes DNA does not review or endorse, and is not responsible for, the privacy practices of these organizations. We encourage you to read the privacy statements of each and every website that you visit. This Privacy Statement applies solely to information collected by HealthCodes DNA.

  1. Children’s privacy

HealthCodes DNA is committed to protecting the privacy of children as well as adults. Neither HealthCodes DNA nor any of its Services are designed for, intended to attract, or directed toward children under the age of 18. A parent or guardian, however, may collect a saliva sample from, create an account for, and provide information related to, his or her child. The parent or guardian assumes full responsibility for ensuring that the information that he/she provides to HealthCodes DNA about his or her child is kept secure and that the information submitted is accurate.

  1. Changes to this Privacy Statement

Whenever this Privacy Statement is changed in a material way, a notice will be posted as part of this Privacy Statement and on our customers’ account login pages for 30 days. After 30 days the changes will become effective. In addition, all customers will receive an email with notification of the changes prior to the change becoming effective.

  1. Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Statement, please email HealthCodes DNA at info@HealthCodesDNA.com.