On Genetic Testing

Not if Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing has a say!

A study was recently conducted on over 2000 people who had undergone genetic testing to see how the test had affected their lives. The researchers tried to find out if these people were they more nervous about their future due to the test, and if they were, then were they taking any measures to remain more 'healthy', . The point was to understand the effects of 'direct-to-consumer' genetic analysis kits (unsupervised by certified genetic counselors) on the people that took them. The researchers expected a change in the behavior of most of these people- perhaps their anxiety levels should have increased as a result of their tests?

Surprisingly, that wasn't the case at all. Most of the people who took the tests seemed just as 'happy' as they were before, and said that the test had not led to major changes in their daily habits.

This confused me as well. If you don't care about the results (which is what I gathered from this study), then why would you bother taking the test in the first place? Isn't the point of the test to find out if you could be the victim of a potentially life-threatening disease in the future? Surely you would make sure you try to stay as 'healthy' as possible to delay (if not prevent) the onset of the disease? I guess the fact that it's directly available to them at a low cost is one reason to go for it. But to spend time on the test and then shrug it off with a simple 'meh' is also unheard of, at least by me. But what goes through a person's mind before they decide to take this test?

Before I read this study, I read an article on genetic testing earlier this quarter, called 'DNA as Destiny' by David Ewing Duncan, the link to which can be found here. This article is certainly not one of my favorite ones, because I think it has a very negative tone. However, after reading the article 'DNA as Destiny' was the first time I formed an opinion on what goes through a person's mind before they decide to take the test. To me Mr. Duncan sounded like a person who is extremely paranoid concerned about his future and I found his reactions to the littlest details about genetic testing quite hilarious interesting. But to be very honest, if I knew of someone who was taking this genetic test, then this is one of the two ways I would expect them to react (even if not to such an extreme extent).

The other reaction I would expect is for the test-taker to not do anything after they receive the results. By that I mean, 'live life to the fullest', without worrying about tomorrow, and over-indulging in things they enjoy, even if it physically harms them. After all, everyone will die one day or another, some will just know of their impending death wayyyyyyy in advance.

Having read this article, I'm thinking whether I'll ever take this test. Honestly, I don't know. After reading the 'DNA is Destiny' article, I decided against it. Even though my opinion hasn't changed in favor of genetic testing (I don't think I like it too much, especially when it's available for pretty much anyone and everyone to use), but now there's a part of me that's starting to think 'why not'? As for how I react if I find out that I will develop diabetes (I probably will- everyone in my mother's side of the family has it) or Alzheimer's or schizophrenia, I have absolutely no idea, nor any inclination to ponder over the subject any more than this.

Link to paper: http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa1011893