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Genetic testing you can order online
Got questions? Too bad
If you order a genetic test online or through the mail, you may be on your own when it's time to interpret the results. The information you receive can be nearly impossible to put in perspective without the ongoing help of a doctor or genetic counselor. Even with the assistance of a medical professional, your questions may be unanswered due to the limited knowledge available regarding risk assessment based on these test results.
In a clinical setting, though, genetic testing always includes a consultation with a genetic counselor. Your genetic counselor will help you consider the emotional aspects of genetic testing and understand what it may — or may not — tell you. It's important to review these considerations prior to testing to assure the testing you are ordering will provide the information you want.
Quality control is another potential problem with direct-to-consumer genetic testing. While researchers say that most commercial labs perform high-quality testing, the federal government provides very limited regulation and oversight of direct-to-consumer DNA tests. Without reliable quality-control monitoring and testing, it's hard to know how valid a commercial genetic test is.
You're high-risk, but what can you do?
Even if your computer-generated genetic profile could report your disease risk in a meaningful way, how would that knowledge affect you? What could you do about it if you knew you had a higher risk of a certain disease?
You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on genetic testing to tell you to quit smoking, eat more fruits and vegetables and get off the couch. Little research has been done to determine if people with a genotype that predisposes them to certain diseases can benefit from more frequent screening or more aggressive treatment earlier in life. Finding out you face a higher than average risk of cancer or another disease can also cause anxiety and fear.
On the other hand, people who test negative for a particular disease risk might feel a false sense of reassurance. They might be less motivated to take steps to prevent the disease, even though there's no guarantee they won't get it.
Promise for the future
The field of genetics is rapidly expanding, with exciting new discoveries reported every week. So when will all this research produce a test that will help regular people? It already has, for specific circumstances. For example, doctors are now using tests that identify genes affecting your body's response to different drugs. Results from these tests are already refining decisions about drug therapy.
Likewise, tests are available to predict whether particular drugs will work as intended when you take them. A medication that effectively treats one person's depression may not be effective treatment for another person — another difference that can sometimes be predicted by genetic testing.
Many scientists anticipate a revolution in personalized medicine based on individual "genomic profiles." Better-informed patients will become navigators of their own health, with higher odds of disease prevention. Doctors will detect diseases earlier, before symptoms develop, and offer more tailored treatments.
But broader applications for genetic testing are still a few years away. Until more is known about genetic variations and the information is proven truly useful, you're better off using simpler tools to evaluate your disease risk, such as your family health history and regular screening tests. The same things you do to reduce your risk of heart disease — maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, limit fats and cholesterol, eat more fruits and vegetables — will also help you prevent type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. These healthy lifestyle habits will help lower your risk of many chronic illnesses, whether or not your genes make you more susceptible.
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