Do you need to have a genetic test at home?



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Tests done directly with consumers can help predict the risks to your future health. But are they worth the cost and trouble?


Image: © jxfzsy / Getty Images

Consumer-directed genetic test kits (DTCs) are a common way of identifying a person's ancestral history, but the technology can also reveal whether a person is at risk for disease and dementia. Specific conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, heart disease and even cancer.

"More and more people want to explore their own medical data, and a DTC genetic test is a way to start understanding some aspects of your future health," said Dr. Robert Green, medical geneticist at Brigham and Women & Affiliated with Harvard. Hospital and Director of the Genomes2People Research Program. "Still, it's important to realize that DTP tests are not identical to genetic testing in a medical setting and do not constitute a complete review of your DNA."

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