Chairman of APQC First Person in the World to Take Advantage of deCODEme, a Private Genome Scanning Service.

HOUSTON -- Based on his gene variants and ancestry, Jack Grayson, Chairman of APQC (www.apqc.org), has found out that people with his genotype have a 42% lifetime risk of contracting Type 2 Diabetes, a 44% lifetime risk of having a myocardial infarction (a type of heart attack), an 18% lifetime risk of prostate cancer, and only a 3% lifetime risk of Alzheimer's disease.

"I wanted to have my genome scanned because I've spent my life pursuing the contributing factors that help people and organizations maximize their potential," said Grayson, a globally recognized expert on productivity and quality. "I plan on living for several more decades at least. Knowing my genetic profile will help me to take steps to live longer, and better."

With one of the largest DNA analysis laboratories in the world, deCODE genetics (www.deCODE.com) scanned Grayson's genome to evaluate identified single nucleotide polymorphisms that have been associated with increased or decreased risks of diseases. Over the past 10 years the Reykjavik, Iceland-based company has led the world in the identification of disease genes and is currently working on developing drugs and diagnostics based upon its leadership in human genetics, in addition to now making genetics available to anyone through the deCODEme service. Grayson, 84, is the first person in the world outside of the scientific community to have his genome scanned as part of deCODE's private service.

Grayson's genetic profile reports the chances that he will contract any of 18 diseases and health conditions, including macular degeneration, asthma, celiac disease, glaucoma, obesity and rheumatoid arthritis when compared to the general population. Empowered with such knowledge, Grayson said he will find out more about what he can do to lower his health risks, such as exercise, medicine, nutrition, or environmental changes. His profile also allows him to trace his ancestry and ethnicity through Y-chromosome markers (paternal lineage) and mitochondrial markers (maternal lineage).

"I founded APQC 30 years ago to empower people and organizations with data, benchmarks, and best practices so they can transform their organizations," Grayson added. "We developed the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the Open Standard Benchmarking Collaborative, and other knowledge and process management tools that organizations can use to improve their odds of success. Why wouldn't I do the same in my own life and empower myself with genetic information? This is benchmarking the ultimate data set - the human genome."

About APQC

Headquartered in Houston, APQC (www.apqc.org) is a non-profit business research center founded by Jack Grayson. For 30 years, APQC has been working with business, healthcare, and government to help these sectors re-structure and improve. Today APQC's 80 employees conduct research, offer training, provide technical assistance, and publish reports on productivity, quality, benchmarking, knowledge management, and other areas.