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5 - USING GENETIC TESTING TO MAINTAIN YOUR HEALTH AND PERSONALISE YOUR MEDICAL CARE, NOW AND IN THE FUTURE

R. C. Michaelis  and
K. M. Sweet
R. C. Michaelis
Affiliation:
Western Carolina University
K. M. Sweet
Affiliation:
The Ohio State University
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Summary

The Currently Available Genetic Tests Provide A Variety Of Specific Benefits

Genetic tests are capable of providing a wide assortment of benefits, but it is important to remember that all genetic tests have significant limitations. In Chapter 6 we discuss some of the issues that are involved in interpreting the results of genetic tests, and describe the limitations of the genetic tests that are currently available. In this chapter, we build upon the principles discussed in Chapters 1-4, to help you understand what tests are available now, and how these tests provide you information about the level of activity of important proteins.

Some Tests Help Estimate Your Risk For Diseases

One way in which genetic testing will be used to help improve health care is to provide tests that accurately estimate your risk for specific diseases. Researchers can identify one or more places in the gene's sequence where the specific version of the sequence that the person possesses affects the protein's level of activity. A test can then be designed to determine whether the version(s) of the gene that a given person has increase or decrease his/her risk for the corresponding disease. These predictive tests can take one of two forms:

  • There are a number of single-gene diseases (see Table III-1 for examples) for which predictive genetic tests are available.

  • Some genetic tests help estimate your risk for specific multifactorial diseases.

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Your Genes, Your Health and Personalised Medicine , pp. 87 - 106
Publisher: Nottingham University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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