Genetic testing allows individuals to submit a genetic sample to a company, which then analyzes the genes for known anomalies or other problems. The idea is that by having that information, you may be able to be more aware of potential health problems down the road. Or even stave them off before they become a problem by changing your behaviors, diet, and exercise regimen. Companies like 23andme and Navigenics provide genetic DNA testing reports that purportedly tell you your risk factors for getting not only certain medical conditions, but also mental disorders, like bipolar or attention deficit disorder.
This may work fine for some very well-defined health issues, like heart disease (although a recent government investigation into these companies’ abilities to provide even this information reliably suggests some problems). But it doesn’t work at all for any mental disorder.
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Solving the genetic puzzle of mental disorders requires large cohorts of individuals and a better way of capturing phenotypic data well beyond the limitations of DSM-IV. 23andMe has created a new model of research that enables a much closer relationship to the study “subjects” through the web. Giving people the ability to report on all aspects of their lives–not just limited to their ‘disease’–enriches the dataset. We believe this holistic approach (while admittedly less pristine than the traditional model) is worth pursuing and could result in new discoveries.
As far as how the current state of knowledge around genetic associations is reported by DTC services, I would ask that you fully research each company’s offering before making sweeping statements as if they’re all identical.
The GAO study was poorly designed and reported in a very skewed, confusing and manipulative way. Everyone should question the motivation behind this smear campaign–one would hope that our government officials were less biased. Please read 23andMe’s response here, http://spittoon.23andme.com/2010/07/23/gao-studies-science-non-scientifically/.
Isn’t this eugenics revisited?
This campaign aimed at 23andme is a backlash against Sergey Brin’s temerity to cirumvent the established (and ineffective, almost to the point of being nonfunctional)avenues for clinical study. There IS NO useful clinical trial info for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease; Brin is attempting to amass as much data as he can thru this foundation to determine what genetics are implicated in Parkinson’s. Yeah–How dare he. what’s the downside–Brin might find something useful Big Pharma cannot patent and sell to those with neurodegenerative diseases for egregious amounts of $$$?
Why is the FDA not focusing upon the enormous numbers of individuals who die every year from adverse effects from drugs “legally” prescribed and sanctioned by this very govt agency? Is adverse drug effects not now the 4th leading cause of deaths in the US? But let’s all get on the band wagon and protect those citizens who wish to pay from their own pockets for information about their genetic make up. If these individuals cannot interpret the results, find a geneticist who can. But PLEASE stop trying to protect us from panicing from information which we pay to receive. Go investigate why the death rate from drugs is so incredibly high! Perhaps starting with the high suicide rates from life style antidepressant drugs could be first on the agenda.
There is one avenue of clinical study which I incorrectly did not mention that DOES have great potential for Parkinson’s patients: the use of GDNF. The same nerotropic factor Amgen pulled out of clinical trial ostensibly because of lesions found in a couple of monkeys’ brains and some antibody formation in some of th patients’ serum. The parkinson’s community believes the withdrawl was ALL due to the great costs of delivering the neurotropic factor; that it had nothing to do with the findings in monkeys and patients’ serum. Amgen has FINALLY licensed this factor to another small pharmnaceutical co, MedGenesis, to be utilized in clinical trials.
The study of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in relation to blood sugar and Blood Pressure levels-has NEVER been addressed by orthodox medicine(aka-Medical Mafia)WHY is there a nation of morbidly obese people-young and old?
Air quality has become increasingly toxic over the years.From my own research(on myself)-I can prove that MCS is related to blood sugar and Hypertension-but why believe me?–I am not a mouse-Jennifer
I am an undergrad student writing a paper about genetic counseling and after having read what has been published I could not agree with you more that genetic testing is a rip off. While science has come a long way it is no where near pedicitive which is what families are looking for when they come for help.
I truly wish there were a “like” button on the website for articles like this!
Thank you again, DocJohn!
Peace!
There is a Like button on this article — right above my picture! Glad you enjoyed it.