Navigenics/Flickr
A temporary storefront has gone up at 76 Greene Street in SoHo to introduce New Yorkers to the services of Navigenics, Inc. We know what you’re thinking, and no, it’s not a James Bond villain front-company (we hope), but a new firm that for $2,500-a-pop will use the DNA in a saliva sample to estimate your risk of contracting a plethora of common ailments like breast cancer, glaucoma, colon cancer, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease, among others.
After your genetic analysis is complete, you can sign up to receive medical research and treatment updates for $250 a year. However, the Times points out that minimizing the risk 
of developing these diseases generally involves basic lifestyle choices like a balanced diet, reduction of harmful habits like smoking, and regular exercise.
In an age when you enter WebMD to investigate that pesky arm rash, and leave convinced you’ve somehow developed SARS, Ebola, and cancer, the Navigenics analysis might seem a little intimidating for the hypochondriacs among us. The other question is how will insurance companies react to news that you’re genetically predisposed to any number of inherited infirmities (and you know that they will find out somehow).
The California company’s lab services have yet to be approved by New York State health officials, so if you are interested, you will have to be put on the waiting list until the company receives approval.
