---
title: "Wellness-class genetic passports: what they reveal and why you shouldn't get them done at 17"
description: "In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, geneticist Dmytro Mykitenko explained that Wellness-class genetic passports assess polygenic predispositions and allow lifestyle adjustments to reduce risks, but they require psychological readiness for the result."
date: 2026-08-30T09:52:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/wellness-genetic-passports-what-they-reveal-and-why-not-at-17
tags: [genetics, wellness, dna-testing, biohacking, preventive-medicine, polygenic-risk]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Wellness-class genetic passports: what they reveal and why you shouldn't get them done at 17

![Scientist analyzing DNA data on a computer in a lab for genetic passport creation](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/30/geneticheskie-pasporta-wellness-chto-pokazyvayut-i-kogda-stoit-delat/geneticheskie-pasporta-wellness-chto-pokazyvayut-i-kogda-stoit-delat-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Wellness-class genetic passports analyze polygenic predispositions rather than looking for a specific disease
- Modern genetics allows selecting embryos during IVF and inserting healthy genes to correct diseases
- An identified genetic risk can be reduced by changing lifestyle — so-called biohacking
- The expert warns: without psychological readiness for the result, the analysis should not be done

Modern genetics has ceased to be solely a tool for diagnosing hereditary diseases. As geneticist Dmytro Mykitenko explained in an interview with RBC-Ukraine, ordinary people today have access to so-called Wellness-class "genetic passports" — preventive tests that do not look for the cause of a specific illness but rather analyze the body's polygenic predispositions. According to the expert, just 10–15 years ago genetics could only, in isolated cases, identify a genetic pathology, and there was practically nothing that could be done about it other than adjusting metabolism. Today, however, the arsenal of possibilities has expanded significantly: from assessing the risk of having a child with a genetic disease at the pregnancy-planning stage to inserting a healthy gene to correct conditions such as spinal muscular atrophy and certain types of retinal dystrophy.

### From diagnosis to prevention: what modern genetics can do

Mykitenko emphasized that medicine has learned to select embryos during in vitro fertilization (IVF) to ensure the birth of a healthy child, as well as to detect a range of genetic diseases after birth, though not all of them. However, in his view, the key shift has been the emergence of Wellness-class genetic tests. As the specialist explained, they "do not look for the cause of a problem but analyze certain polygenic predispositions." If there is a change in a single gene, then due to a minor disruption it may not lead to disease. But if the activity of several genes from one functional block is reduced at the same time, this can affect health — not necessarily in the form of a clinical disease, but by impacting quality of life.

### Biohacking as a tool for reducing risk

Importantly, according to Mykitenko, a person can influence the magnitude of the identified genetic risk. It is precisely this direction, he said, that is now being called biohacking: changing habits, diet, place of residence, and other lifestyle factors allows an individual to lower their personal risk to the general population level. Thus, Wellness-class genetic studies are positioned not as a sentence, but as a preventive tool that gives a person specific guidelines for adjusting everyday decisions.

### Readiness for the result: age and anxiety

At the same time, the expert warns that a misinterpretation of the results can cause excessive anxiety, which in itself can harm health. This is especially true of oncological risks. "A person must be mature enough to hear the result," Mykitenko stated. He gave a personal example: he himself only reached the understanding of the need for such tests at the age of 42, while some patients are not ready for them even at 50. At the same time, just the other day a 17-year-old patient turned to him, declaring that she "needs to know what to prepare for." The genetician did not categorically forbid testing minors, but he emphasized that if there is no psychological readiness, the analysis should not be done.

### Context: genetic passports are not only for people

The concept of a "genetic passport" today goes far beyond human medicine. For example, Russian scientists at TINV RAS are working on compiling genetic passports for the Far Eastern leopards that remain in the wild, while specialists at the St. Petersburg Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences have proposed issuing genetic passports to reindeer to monitor population health. These projects demonstrate that the idea of individual genetic identification and risk assessment is becoming a universal tool — from zoology to personalized medicine. For a person, however, as Mykitenko emphasizes, the main point of Wellness tests is not to "find a disease" but to consciously manage what has not yet become a disease.

This material is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information is intended to familiarize you with possible methods of identifying risks, but it should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. If you have health problems, be sure to consult a qualified doctor.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Why Ukrainians need "genetic passports": what they tell us and can they change anything](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/navishcho-ukrayintsyam-genetichni-pasporti-1788082619.html) - Первичный источник: интервью генетика Дмитрия Микитенко для РБК-Украина. Все цитаты и тезисы из статьи соответствуют содержанию интервью.
- [Scientists to compile genetic passports for Far Eastern leopards remaining in the wild](https://tass.ru/nauka/1852939) - Контекстный источник: подтверждает существование концепции генетических паспортов в зоологии, но не относится к человеческим Wellness-тестам.
- [Scientists at the St. Petersburg Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences proposed issuing genetic passports to reindeer](https://www.spb.kp.ru/online/news/6855379/) - Контекстный источник: дополнительный пример применения термина «генетический паспорт» в науке о животных.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is a Wellness-class genetic passport?
**A:** It is a preventive genetic test that does not look for the cause of a specific disease but analyzes the body's polygenic predispositions — that is, a combination of small changes in several genes of one functional block that, together, may affect quality of life.

### Q: Can the result of a genetic test be changed?
**A:** The genetic code itself cannot be changed, but, according to geneticist Dmytro Mykitenko, you can influence the magnitude of the identified risk by changing habits, diet, and place of residence — what is now called biohacking — and lower your individual risk to the general population level.

### Q: At what age should genetic tests for oncological risks be done?
**A:** Mykitenko emphasizes that a person must be psychologically ready to hear the result. The expert himself reached this point at 42, while some patients are not ready even at 50. If there is no understanding or readiness, the analysis should not be done, since excessive anxiety can be harmful.

### Q: How do Wellness genetic tests differ from the diagnosis of hereditary diseases?
**A:** Diagnostic tests identify specific mutations that cause a disease. Wellness-class tests assess a combination of small polygenic predispositions that will not necessarily lead to illness but may affect quality of life and provide a guideline for prevention.