PROS AND CONS OF GENETIC TESTING

For the first time consumers can bypass doctors to learn if they have a genetic risk for 10 diseases. This can happen because of a new ruling from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For years, genetic testing has been in the news. It has often been part of paternity suits or criminal trials. Genetic testing has been used for years by doctors and medical researchers to diagnose ailments and assess disease risks. The FDA has been concerned, though, about allowing consumers to take matters into their own hands. There are reasons to be cautious, Although the test shows a potential risk for a disease, that does not mean the patient will develop that condition. Most diseases have a complex causality. That means it is often not a single gene that results in illness, but the complicated interaction between an individual's genetic makeup, environment, diet, even tobacco use. You can make changes by knowing your genetic predisposition. Such changes as diet, exercise, preventive medical testing and care. These tests seem to intrigue people, teach, and even motivate them to improve their health. The ten conditions tested are Alzheimer's, Parkinson's celiac disease, alpha-1antitrypsin deficiency(which raises the risk of lung and liver disease),early-onset primary dystonia(a movement disorder), Factor XI deficiency(a blood-clotting disorder), Gaucher disease type 1(an organ and tissue disorder), glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase-deficiency(a red blood cell condition), hereditary hemochromatosis(an iron disorder and hereditary thrombophilia(a blood clot disorder). There is another reason to be cautious. U.S. laws do protect consumers from being denied health insurance based on genetic tests, but currently there are no protections in place for long-term care, disability and life insurance. A life insurance application, in some states, can ask if you have had genetic testing.