Received an at-home DNA test as a holiday gift? Proceed with caution

If you or a family member received a consumer genetic testing kit as a holiday gift, you probably weren ’t alone. Sales of at-home DNA testing kits reportedly soared in 2017, as people sought clues to their ancestry or future health. Some genetic-testing companies encouraged the purchase of kits as holiday gifts — even offering free gift wrapping.However, the results from at-home DNA tests are proving problematic for some people, even as the tests ’ growing popularity helps to raise public awareness of the link between one’s genetic make-up and their health.“We’ve definitely seen a steady increase in at-home genetic tests and an uptick recently, in part because of the new trend to give these tests as a family gift,” saidWayne Grody, director of the UCLA Molecular Diagnostic Laboratories andClinical Genomics Center and a professor of pathology, human genetics and pediatrics at the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.  “Our genetic clinic gets an increasing number of calls from people who either don’t understand the results or are upset and seeking someone to explain the findings to them.”Grody, who also works at UCLA Mattel Children ’s Hospital, said he believes the negative aspects of at-home genetic tests may outweigh the benefits for some. Some genetics experts, including Grody, question the reliability of the results for medical decision-making. And some consumers may be ill-equipped to handle troubling medical informatio n without the guidance of phys...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news