GENETIC TESTING ON THE WEB

GENETIC TESTING ON THE WEB

Many web based entrepreneurs are selling genetic nutritional information and claim they can look at your genetic information and figure out what you must eat to have stronger bones, shiny hair, and good health.

Scientists have not yet developed a good understanding of how genes contribute to your health and how they can affect diseases. Yet commercialization of these gene detections is far ahead of the science itself.

The sequencing of DNA code has given information that potentially might prevent, diagnose, and even cure diseases. It may soon match a drug to you the patient. It would predict which medicine would work best for you and what the best dosage would be.

THE PROBLEM

Selling nutrigenetic information has attracted companies to sell genetic tests, promising to give you diet guidance based on their results. Sciona, Genelex, Genove, Suracell and others market such panel tests.

For up to $270 these web sites will send you a kit to collect DNA from by swabbing the inside of your cheek, and a filling out a questionnaire on your life style. You get a report on 19 unrelated genes and an analysis of what this information SUGGESTS and how you should exercise and what you should eat.

It is estimated that over 40,000 such tests have been done over the last 3 years. Demand seems to be growing with the ASSUMPTION that lifestyle DNA tests is the future of genetics.

The government showed in April 2006 how customers were misled about false gene assessments of heart, insulin resistance, and susceptibility to inflammation and antioxidant activity. None of this could have been determined from genetic results and customer questionnaires. The genetic community worries that people will lose faith in the legitimate tests that are now being discovered almost daily.

MANY genes are involved in diabetes, cancer and hear disease. They all interact, and it is hard to predict how they will interact on you, the patient. You might exercise and eat right and still be unlucky and come down with a disease. Many people get cancers and have no known genetic factors.

There are over 1000 genetic tests on the market. The FDA does NOT regulate any of them for their safety nor their effectiveness. The FDA only regulates tests that are sold as medical devices, but not tests done by clinical labs for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases. The FDA regulations do not cover these labs because they do not diagnose disease. They come awful close to diagnosing by giving predictions about disease predispositions.

We all expect great things from the Human Genome Product. One cannot get personalized medicine without a review of tests by an independent expert and some oversight over the labs doing the testing. BUYER BEWARE.
Sources; Am Journal Human Genetics, Vol 8, Sept 2007
www.gao.gov/new items/d06577t.pdf.
For more information visit www.drneedles.com
Your comments always appreciated.