Overview
imaware offers 16 at-home blood tests covering a range of health topics, including celiac disease, heart health, and diabetes. Prices range from $69 to $299. Users cannot upload results, and tests are only available within the US.
Pros
- Offers a variety of at-home lab tests
- Reports are easy to understand
Cons
- Only available within the US
- Cannot upload lab test results
- Does not offer personalized health recommendations based on results
About imaware
imaware was founded in 2018 by Jani Tuomi. In December 2020, they announced that Paul Owen would be joining their team as their new president. Most recently, Owen served as Chief Business Officer for Kailos Genetics.
The company is based out of Austin, Texas.
Review of imaware Products & Features
imaware offers at-home blood tests that cover the following health topics:
- Women’s Health
- Women’s Health and Wellness Test
- Thyroid Screening
- Men’s Health
- Testosterone Monitoring Test
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- Men’s Health & Wellness Test
- Immune Health
- Celiac Disease Screening Test
- Celiac Disease Monitoring Test
- Vitamin D Monitoring Test
- Immune Defense Test
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Test
- Allergy
- Food & Respiratory Allergy Test
- Heart Health
- Baseline Heart Health Test
- Vascular Inflammation Test
- Lipoprotein(a) Health Test
- Diabetes
- Prediabetes/Diabetes Screening Test
- Haptoglobin Genetic Test
Each test kit generates a separate lab report analyzing around a dozen biomarkers, depending on the test. You cannot upload past test results to receive further insights into your health.
imaware offers one single test to inform users of their haptoglobin genotype, which is linked to an increased cardiovascular risk in those with diabetes. However, there are many other genes and genetic variants involved with heart health and diabetes, so this report might not provide you with a full picture of your health.
For comparison, SelfDecode has dedicated blood sugar and heart health genetic reports that analyze over one million variants to provide accurate genetic risk scores and personalized recommendations based on your DNA.
Review of imaware Reports
imaware states that users will receive an email within 7 business days of their sample return containing a link to their digital health platform. Customers can then view and download their test results.
Reports follow a similar structure. First, imaware includes the general health assessment results and an introduction of the topic. As can be seen from the sample report below, it informs the user that their “cardiovascular health appears to be normal”.
Results are separated by category. For example, the Baseline Heart Health Test results shown above are divided into:
- Diabetes Screening Panel
- Lipid Panel
- hs-CRP Results
The company includes a brief explanation of each category and how they are related to the health topic being analyzed. The report also includes graphical representations of each marker tested, and whether the results are normal.
It’s worth mentioning that imaware does not take into account functional ranges and will only tell you if your results fall into their normal range. Keep in mind that even if a blood test result is within the normal range, it may not be optimal for your general health.
Following this section, imaware includes more detailed information about the results. The report includes a results table containing the biomarker name, the quantitative and qualitative results, the reportable range, and the target range.
You can view a sample imaware celiac test result below.
Next, the report displays the background and family history, which they claim are taken into account when delivering the results. The company also provides a few recommendations on what next steps to take.
Finally, the company provides some additional information in the form of recommended blog posts related to the subject.
You can view this section of the report below.
Overall, the reports do a good job of providing a visualization of the test results that can be easily understood by the customer. However, imaware does not provide any kind of health recommendations to help people improve their lab results and consequently their health, nor do they include scientific references embedded throughout the report.
imaware Cost
imaware offers a variety of at-home health tests, with prices ranging from $69 to $299. Kits include two lancet tools to collect the blood sample, a prepaid return package, and access to one report. Their tests are not covered by insurance, but they accept FSA/HSA cards.
Review of imaware Privacy & Data Security
imaware claims not to share individual-level information with third parties, including employers or health insurance companies. They may ask for permission to share data with research projects.
If a customer took an imaware test as a part of a corporate screening program, they advise that the results may be shared with the employer.
The company states that blood samples are handled, processed, and disposed of as per CLIA standards. They store user data for seven years.
The imaware digital platform is HIPAA compliant.
Health Recommendations from imaware
imaware does claim to take into consideration users’ family history and risk factors when delivering the results, and they do provide recommendations on next steps to take. Along with the results, customers will also receive suggestions on blog posts related to the health topic analyzed by the test.
However, that is all the guidance the company offers to their users. They do not make any diet, lifestyle, or supplement recommendations in their reports based on test results to help people improve their labs and overall health.
imaware Reviews
Trustpilot – 172 Customer Average Rating of 4.5 of 5 stars
One imaware review on Trustpilot shares that they didn’t receive details including a description of the results or the testing methodology that was used. Many customers report receiving “inconclusive results”.
Amazon – 66 Customer Average Rating of 3.9 of 5 stars
Customers share bad experiences with the lancet provided with the testing kit, but say the company provided good customer service.
Alternatives to imaware
imaware offers consumers a variety of at-home health tests and reports that are easy to understand. However, they do not offer suggestions to help users improve their health.
Another downside is that you cannot upload past test results to gain further insights into your health. You also cannot track labs results to see how they are progressing over time. Other companies may be able to offer you this and more if you’re interested in a more comprehensive analysis of your lab results
If you want to understand your labs and take control of your health by making targeted changes to your lifestyle based on your results, SelfDecode Labs could be a better option for you.
By signing up to SelfDecode Labs, you’ll gain insights into over 1,000 lab markers. Upload your past test results or purchase lab tests from SelfDecode to find out where your levels are from their optimal range, and what you can do to improve them.
You can easily view and track your results over time to identify trends and make changes based on what works best for your body.
But that’s not all you get with a membership. SelfDecode offers DNA testing and uses cutting-edge AI and machine learning to analyze up to 83 million genetic variants. You can either get a SelfDecode DNA test or upload your preexisting raw DNA file.
With SelfDecode, you’ll receive the most accurate genetic risk scores and personalized diet, lifestyle, and supplement recommendations based on your unique DNA and labs.
By combining DNA, labs, and environmental data, SelfDecode is able to provide you with the fullest picture of your health. You can easily build your own health plan by adding your personalized recommendations directly from DNA and lab reports, and set the frequency and duration of each recommendation to best fit your lifestyle.
Comparisons
|
SelfDecode |
imaware |
myLAB Box |
Thriva |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Personalized & holistic health recommendations |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
|
Products |
DNA & lab testing, wellness reports, personalized health recommendations, lab test analyzer |
At-home health tests |
At-home health and wellness tests, STD screening |
At-home blood testing |
|
Genes & lab markers analyzed |
Up to 83 million genetic variants & over 1,000 lab markers |
A few per test kit |
Around 10 lab markers per test |
Less than 50 lab markers |
|
Lab results upload |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Cost (USD) |
$97 – $396 |
$69 – $299 per test |
$49 – $399 |
Average of $90 every 3 months for the subscription |
imaware Review Summary
imaware offers at-home blood tests that target specific health issues, such as celiac disease, heart health, or diabetes.
The company only offers a limited range of test kits and does not allow users to upload past test results to gain further insights into their health. Another aspect to consider is that imaware does not provide personalized health recommendations based on the test results.
If you’re interested in taking control of your health, other companies such as SelfDecode offers tailored advice based on your DNA and lab results. SelfDecode analyzes up to 83 million genetic variants and over 1,000 lab markers to give you a full picture of your health.
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