What Women’s DNA Could Reveal | Mia Chorney | TEDxBoston Salon

After entering surgical menopause at 32 and having a heart condition dismissed as anxiety, nurse practitioner Mia Chorney began looking for better answers. In this TEDxBoston Salon talk, she explores how genetic information, read alongside medical and family history, can inform conversations about cardiovascular risk, medication response and menopause care. She argues that genetic predisposition is not destiny and calls for healthcare that takes women's symptoms seriously. The talk reflects the speaker's personal views; TED notes that it should not be used as medical advice and that direct-to-consumer genetic testing lacks sufficient evidence for routine clinical care.

• Personal experience of surgical menopause at 32 and a dismissed heart condition
• How genetic data, with medical and family history, relates to heart risk and medication response
• Genetic predisposition is not destiny
• TED notes the talk is not medical advice

NOTE FROM TED: Please do not look to this talk for medical advice. This talk only represents the speaker's personal views and understanding of genomics testing, drug response, and disease risk which warrants further scientific investigation. For more context, see below. We've flagged this talk because it falls outside the content guidelines TED gives TEDx organizers. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdf There is insufficient evidence to support direct-to-consumer genetic testing in routine clinical care. For more information, see this statement from the American Heart Association: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001304 After entering surgical menopause at 32 and having a heart condition dismissed as anxiety, Mia Chorney began searching for better answers. She explores how genetic information, interpreted alongside medical and family history, can inform conversations about cardiovascular risk, medication response and menopause care. Drawing on her personal and clinical experience, she argues that genetic predisposition is not destiny and calls for healthcare that takes women’s symptoms seriously. Mia Chorney, DNP, is a board certified family nurse practitioner and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. She is cofounder and chief medical officer of The Pause Technologies and Amsara Health. Her work combines menopause care, cardiovascular health and genomics to support personalized care for women in midlife. Her own experience of surgical menopause in her thirties informs her commitment to helping women receive more informed, individualized healthcare. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx