For many, home bipolar tests are troublesome

Many in the medical community are at odds over the ethics of at-home bipolar gene tests currently on the market. According to an article in the Boston Globe, "more than 1,000 of these tests" have been made available to the public in the last few years. "People are always rushing to the market on the basis of one or two studies," says Dr. Muin Khoury, director of the National Office of Public Health Genomics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We have very little evidence that telling people their genetic information is going to make any difference."

But Dr. John Kelsoe feels differently. A prominent psychiatric geneticist at the University of California in San Diego, Kelsoe began selling his own brand of at-home bipolar genetic testing over the Internet for $399 last month. "The goal of this is to try and help doctors make an accurate diagnosis more quickly so the patient can be treated appropriately," Kelsoe said. "Anything is going to help, even if it just helps a little bit."

For more information:
- read the article in the Boston Globe

Related Articles:
$999 DNA test offers insights on disease risks. Report
Fearing insurer backlash, patients avoid genetic tests. Report
'Prescribing psychologist' bill infuriates MDs. Article
Genetic tests predict risk of varied conditions. Report

Post a comment