July 27, 2009

Navigenics’ executives make the Health Spottr Top 100 cut

Posted 02:32 PM PDT

Navigenics has a strong showing on Health Spottr’s Future Health 100 list. Health Spottr is a new media publishing company devoted to covering the latest in health care innovation and the top players in health care. Among its new list of 100 influential health care providers, investors, innovators and executives are Navigenics leaders Dr. Jonathan “Jack” Lord and Dr. David Agus.

Dr. Jack Lord, CEO of Navigenics, is featured at number 19 for his commitment to quality improvement in health care. Dr. Lord discusses the importance of Navigenics’ genetic testing services in the future of health care. “These are all progressions on the same basic track of getting people to a place of sovereignty over their healthcare—putting them on the same level as their doctors in the decision-making. Navigenics represents the next step. We provide people with a science-based view of their future risks, then give them resources to understand how they might impact those risks.”

Is now a good time to get a genetic test?

Julie Sevrens Lyons,

Health writer

Posted 01:53 PM PDT

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.

Leading genomic researcher discusses his own test results

Michael Nierenberg, M.D.,

Navigenics Medical Director

Posted 02:15 PM PDT

As we pointed out in our blog a few weeks back, the Scripps Translational Science Institute has launched an ambitious 20-year study on how people respond to genetic test results, using the Navigenics service as a basis for the research.

Upon learning they are at increased genetic risk for conditions such as obesity, diabetes or cancer, do people start to exercise more and eat a little less? Are they more conscientious about going to the doctor at the first sign of trouble? Do they ignore the information entirely, refusing to kick their pack-a-day habit?

Previous smaller studies have found that genetic information holds promising motivational potential. Now, the Scripps study’s principal investigator, Dr. Eric J. Topol, plans to follow 10,000 adults to find out more.

He already has one very important set of results in hand—his own.