Free Republic

It’s hard to imagine a more sensitive type of personal information than your own genetic blueprints. With varying degrees of accuracy, the four-base code can reveal bits of your family’s past, explain some of your current traits and health, and may provide a glimpse into your future with possible conditions and health problems you could face. And that information doesn’t just apply to you but potentially your blood relatives, too.Most people would likely want to keep the results of genetic tests highly guarded—if they want their genetic code deciphered at all. But, as STAT reports, a new bill that is...

The FDA's Genetic PaternalismStifling research, costing Americans more, and sending them into the black market — some likely consequences of overregulation Ever wonder why your hair is the color it is, where your remote ancestors resided, or whether you carry genes for diseases that could affect you or your children? As of today, it’s not possible to know all of that with certainty — not even close. But you can get a few answers by sending a saliva sample to a private company and paying it to analyze your DNA. Even better, as new research becomes available, you can check...

I have alleles that suggest that I have a lower than average risk of suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Other alleles, however, indicate that I am slightly more likely to experience age-related macular degeneration than other people of European ancestry. In addition, if I need to use the blood thinner warfarin in the future, I should let my physician know that I have a version of the CYP2C9 gene, suggesting that I have a greater sensitivity to the drug and probably should start with a low dose. How do I know this genetic information? Because I paid for a direct-to-consumer genotype...

WASHINGTON — The science of genetic tests is marching ahead and so are efforts to sell them directly to consumers who are willing to send in a check and a bit of saliva to learn whether they are at risk for a disease. What is not keeping up is regulation and oversight, according to a federal advisory panel. The panel concluded that a growing number of the tests are being marketed with claims that are unproved, ambiguous, false or misleading. Millions of people have already taken the tests, a relatively new tool that even many doctors have yet to master....