Genetic Testing

Why Genetic Testing?

Standard blood work shows what is happening in your body right now. Genetic testing reveals why — and what will keep happening if you do not intervene. Blood panels change week to week. Your genes do not. A single test gives you lifetime insight into how your body uniquely handles nutrition, stress hormones, detoxification, and immune response. A gene variant is a tendency, not a destiny: it describes how efficiently one step in your body tends to work. It does not mean you have a disease, and it does not mean you will get one. Your provider reads your genetics together with your symptoms, your history, and your blood work — genetics alone never decides your care.

The Panels We Offer at Our Doral Clinic

Our program is built around focused metabolic and immune panels — the ones that change what a provider actually recommends. Each is explained in our printed patient guide and in your results visit:

• Methylation Profile (MTHFR C677T and A1298C, MTR, MTRR, COMT, AHCY) — how your body uses folate and vitamin B12, builds neurotransmitters, and clears homocysteine; often ordered for unexplained fatigue, brain fog, mood changes, elevated homocysteine, or pregnancy planning
• Histamine Intolerance (DAO / AOC1) — how well you break down histamine after a meal; worth considering when food reactions are real but allergy testing keeps coming back negative
• Celiac Risk Genes (HLA-DQ2 / HLA-DQ8) — the genetic key that celiac disease requires; if you do not carry either gene, celiac disease is very unlikely, and the test still works after you have gone gluten-free
• Telomere Length — a cellular-aging marker measured in white blood cells and compared with reference data for your age group; a wellness and research marker, not a diagnostic test
• ALCAT Food Sensitivity panels (100 to 250 foods) — immune-cell reactivity to specific foods, used to build an elimination and reintroduction plan
• Cellular Nutrition Assay (CNA), Methyl Detox and CICA panels — nutrient-status and detoxification pathways that pair with the genetic results to turn a variant into an actual protocol

DNA Testing in Miami: Health DNA Panels vs. Paternity Tests

What Sets Our Testing Apart

• All panels ordered, reviewed, and interpreted by a licensed provider — not an automated algorithm
• CLIA-certified laboratory partners for clinical-grade accuracy
• Results explained in plain language with actionable next steps
• Personalized protocol: targeted supplements, dietary adjustments, and follow-up monitoring
• Bilingual consultations — English and Spanish, in Doral and by telehealth for Miami-Dade patients
• Add-on pricing when several panels are ordered in the same visit — our staff calculates the best combination at booking

Who Should Get Genetic Testing

• Patients with chronic fatigue, brain fog, or mood imbalances with no clear cause
• Anyone with a family history of cardiovascular disease, autoimmune conditions, or cancer
• Individuals struggling with unexplained digestive issues, bloating, or food sensitivities
• Patients with ongoing digestive symptoms or a first-degree relative with celiac disease — especially if gluten was removed before testing was ever completed
• Those seeking a longevity and anti-aging medicine foundation
• Athletes and high-performers optimizing recovery and peak function
• Patients on multiple supplements who want to know what is actually working

What a Genetic Testing Evaluation Involves

Genetic testing at Viva is a three-visit process, not a kit dropped in the mail with no one to explain it:

• Consultation — you meet with a provider to review your health history, symptoms, current supplements and goals; the provider selects the panels that fit, with no unnecessary tests
• Sample collection — a simple blood draw or cheek swab collected on-site by our licensed clinical staff, usually in under 30 minutes; no fasting is required, and you do not need to stop medications or supplements because they do not change your DNA
• At-home option — a collection kit can be shipped to you with a prepaid return label; kits that require a blood draw must be collected by a licensed or professionally trained healthcare provider, while cheek-swab kits may be self-collected
• Results visit — in 7 to 14 business days your provider walks you through every result and builds your plan: targeted supplements, dietary adjustments, lab follow-up, and a monitoring schedule
• Ongoing care — findings are added to your chart so your primary care provider at Viva can act on them at future visits

What These Panels Do — and Do Not — Tell You

Genetic testing is most useful when you know its limits. Before you order, four things worth understanding:

• The methylation panel is about your nutrition and B-vitamin needs; professional genetics guidelines do not recommend MTHFR testing as a blood-clotting or thrombophilia test, and we do not use it that way
• The histamine panel is not an allergy test; it does not detect or replace testing for true, IgE-mediated food allergy — if you have a known allergy you must keep avoiding that food regardless of these results
• A positive celiac gene result is common and is not a celiac diagnosis; diagnosis requires antibody testing and, in most cases, an intestinal biopsy while gluten is still in your diet
• Telomere length is not your biological age; no test converts it into a number of years, and a single result is a snapshot, not a verdict
• These focused panels do not screen for cancer-risk genes such as BRCA, Alzheimer's or dementia risk, paternity, ancestry, or your family's genetic risk — if you want any of those, tell your provider; that is a different conversation and a different test

Insurance, Self-Pay and Scheduling