Take Control of Your Health Using Precision Medicine
Advanced genetic testing for the diagnosis,
monitoring & tailored treatment of
complex pancreatic diseases
Know Your Risk of Complex Disease Using Precision Medicine
Advances in the understanding of pancreatic disease combined with new methods of genetic testing allow for earlier detection, diagnosis, and treatment of pancreatitis.
The complex health conditions that burden patients and health systems, such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity and pancreatitis, have multiple causes, some of which are un-explained. Traditional care models don’t fully account for the interaction of many possible risk factors including genetics we’re born with and the lifestyle and other environmental factors we accumulate over time.
Finding the true cause(s) of symptoms can be challenging and time-consuming because there are so many variables to consider and each person’s risk factors will differ based on unique genetic and environmental contributions. Diseases and related conditions of the pancreas can be hard to detect, and they have many possible risk factors and potential causes. Because of this, traditional tests can be imprecise, making it difficult to quickly make an accurate diagnosis.
Fortunately, advances in the understanding of pancreatic disease combined with new methods of genetic testing allow for earlier detection, diagnosis, and treatment of pancreatitis. This information helps your healthcare provider develop a more effective course of treatment and may minimize the time spent bouncing between specialists and performing diagnostic testing.
Genetic Testing Can Provide Answers to Help Guide Future Care
For You and Your Family
Understanding Your Genetic Risk
The majority of complex pancreatic diseases are caused by genetic factors or a combination of genetic and environmental factors [1,2]. Environmental factors can include risks like smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol, having a poor diet or a sedentary lifestyle, or an increased age [2,3]. Knowing your risk for these diseases can help your healthcare provider tailor your care plan to enable effective preventative and therapeutic interventions.
Make Informed Decisions Based on Your Family’s Health History
Pancreatic diseases can be hereditary or familial. This means that you can be more susceptible to these diseases due to certain genetic variants you inherit. Genetic testing may be beneficial for you to consider if you have close biological family members who have been affected by pancreatitis, hypertriglyceridemia, or certain cancers including pancreatic, breast, colon, ovarian, and melanoma.
Additionally, if you have or have had a pancreatic disease, it may be beneficial to know your genetic risk so that you can share that information with your family members. That way your family can be more informed about their potential risk and can talk to their healthcare provider about appropriate next steps.
Better Insight for Targeted Care Plans
Due to the complexity of pancreatic diseases like pancreatitis, sometimes it can be difficult to determine the root cause(s) for your symptoms. If the cause(s) of your pancreatitis symptoms is idiopathic or unknown, it may be beneficial to consider getting genetic testing. Genetic testing can provide valuable insight into the factors driving your disease that may be overlooked or not considered in other diagnostic evaluation.
Because pancreatitis can be progressive and can potentially lead to end-stage chronic pancreatitis or even pancreatic cancer, it is incredibly important to determine the cause of the disease early on so that appropriate intervention can be made. Not only can genetic testing enable an earlier diagnosis, it can also guide your healthcare provider to create a more targeted care plan to help prevent or stop the progression of your disease.
Personalized Medication Recommendations
Your genes can help affect how your body responds to certain medications. This is whether you have a bad reaction to a drug or whether a drug will be effective. Pharmacogenomics, the study of how your genetic makeup affects your response to a medication, can improve your health by helping you know ahead of time whether a drug is likely to benefit you and safe for you to take. Knowing this information can help your doctor find medicine that will work best for you.
Comprehensive Genetic Testing For Pancreatic Diseases
Make more informed decisions about your future care
Pancreatic Cancer Risk
Pharmacogenomics
Benefits for Patients
Understand Symptoms and Risk Factors
Gain a better understanding of unknown risk factors and whether you have a genetic cause for your condition, or an increased genetic susceptibility to it.
Genetic Counseling
Ariel offers pre- and post-test genetic counseling to provide additional support for you and your care.
Timely Diagnosis
Timely diagnosis can prevent costly and invasive diagnostic procedures, and allow for intervention prior to reaching end-stage disease.
Transparent Pricing
Ariel will contact you to review your insurance coverage for genetic testing services prior to completing testing.
How It Works
1
Talk To Your Provider
Talk to your healthcare provider to see if genetic testing may be helpful for your care. If appropriate, they can place an order using our secure online portal or by fax.
2
Register For Testing
After the order has been placed, you will receive an email invitation to complete registration for testing.
3
Collect DNA
A saliva DNA collection kit will be shipped to your home. We will get in touch with you to review your insurance coverage and any potential out-of-pocket costs.
4
Receive Results
Once you send us your sample, we will conduct your genetic analysis. The results will be released to your care provider first, so they can go over the results with you, and then released to you.
Get Our Patient Guide
Ariel’s comprehensive genetic testing is ordered by your healthcare provider. Our guide will help you have a more informed discussion with your care team about whether genetic testing is the right fit for you.
Going Beyond Genetics for Pancreatic Diseases
Being affected by a pancreatic disease can sometimes be difficult and overwhelming. Ariel is here to support you by providing educational and expert resources on pancreatic diseases and genetics. Our goal is to help empower you to take control of your healthcare!
Do You Have a Question?
Our FAQ page has the answer!
You can also contact us at 844-MYARIEL (7435) or contact@arielmedicine.com.
1. Whitcomb, D C. “Value of genetic testing in the management of pancreatitis.” Gut vol. 53,11 (2004): 1710-7. doi:10.1136/gut.2003.015511.
2. Whitcomb DC. Genetic risk factors for pancreatic disorders. Gastroenterology. 2013 Jun;144(6):1292-302. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2013.01.069. PMID: 23622139; PMCID: PMC3684061.
3. “Genetic Mutations.” Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, PanCAN, 16 Apr. 2019, www.pancan.org/facing-pancreatic-cancer/about-pancreatic-cancer/risk-factors/genetic-hereditary/genetic-mutations/.