Wall Street Journal Agrees....We Need More Sherpas

In the WSJ today and also on GTO it seems we have a common theme. Something perhaps that I have been saying all along. It is nice to see Gautam agree with me....

From the Article:

Ever since the human genome was deciphered seven years ago, companies have been rushing to sell genetic tests directly to consumers. But buyers, beware: Many of the claims that accompany these tests are not fully supported by science.

Read my post about it

deCODE genetics' test for a gene variant linked to Type 2 diabetes: Some research says the predictive value is weak....

"The predictive value of the genetic test is pretty poor," says David Melzer, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Exeter, England. Last year, Prof. Melzer and colleagues published a study based on data collected from more than 900 elderly people in villages near Florence, Italy. They found that 80% of the people who tested positive for TCF7L2 didn't get Type 2 diabetes in old age. And nearly 40% of the people who had diabetes didn't carry the gene variant at all.

This One Too...

"The significance of the risks uncovered by these tests is very, very small," says Stuart Hogarth, a fellow at the Institute for Science and Society at the University of Nottingham, England, who has studied the genetic-testing industry. "Commercialization of genetics tests at this stage is premature."

Oh I think I said this too.....Twice

Let's chalk this all up to media hype...Or the lack of appropriate medical knowledge to combat the hype

"The Sherpa speaks the language of the trail, he/she knows short cuts and dangerous paths to avoid."

I hope I have served my readers well.......I know my Helix Health of Connecticut has.

-Steve