Tests that assess broad panels of genetic markers to predict a person’s risk of illness and death are becoming as simple as sending a sample of saliva to a lab and logging on via the Web for the results. Then there are concerns about discrimination on the job or by insurers if a patient’s privacy is breached. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, is whether tests, such as one from a California start-up called Navigenics, will empower patients to make healthier choices or terrify them with misleading or discouraging information. Navigenics isn’t the only company to tap the newly accessible information from the decoded human genome for health predictions. Another company, 23andme, backed by Genentech and Google, hopes to launch another direct-to-consumer test with genetic information taken from ancestries. DeCode already sells tests to for heart risks. Would you pay $2,500 for a roadmap to your genetic health risks? |
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