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.
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