Genetic testing is a relatively new field, and not surprisingly, many consumers have questions about it. What are the benefits? What are the risks? And perhaps most importantly, is it right for me right now?
Dr. Eric J.Topol, director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute in San Diego, discusses these issues in a thoughtful new video blog called “Are Genome-Wide Scans Ready for Prime Time?”
Should people get a genetic test now to learn their genetic risk for many common health conditions? Should they wait until scientific research has yielded even more information about the genetic underpinnings of health before they proceed?
While naysayers have suggested that consumers should put off testing until all the pieces of our genetic puzzles are in place, “There’s no real answer to this debate,” Topol says in his video, which was posted on Medscape, a website for physicians.
Certainly, sound science will bring new advances to the field in the future. But that is no reason not to get a genetic test today.
“There is another view here, and that is by having this information that may be empowering to individuals – and that may be a good thing,” Topol says in the video.
That’s one of the reasons why Topol has launched an impressive long-term, large-scale study, following 10,000 people who take a Navigenics genetic test to see if the knowledge they glean from the process encourages them to improve their lifestyle and get regular and recommended health care. Topol’s team is also assessing the psychological impact of testing, and whether participants are able to prevent or delay disease by taking action after getting their results.
Nearly 4,000 study participants have already been told whether they have an increased genetic risk for diabetes, heart attack, glaucoma, several types of cancer and other health conditions. All will be followed by Topol and his colleagues for the next 20 years.
For his part, Topol did not see any reason to wait to get his own genetic test. He already went through the process and got his results back last fall. For what health condition does he have an increased genetic risk?