Consumer Genetic Testing for heart attack risk? Worthless!

Here are the top ten reasons why in its current state, direct to consumer or otherwise, genomic testing for cardiovascular disease risk is dead in the water

1. Family History Risk paints a far better picture and IT IS FREE

2. Reynolds and Framingham risk paint a more accurate picture

3. An independent panel has reviewed 58 variants, 29 genes, and gave the thumbs down.

4. The highest increased risk from any of these tests is 30%, Fam Hx can be as high as 500%

5. Kif6 was just shot down as a useful marker.

6. Clinical Utility has not been evaluated in ANY of these tests.

7. Spit Parties don't lower cholesterol

8. The FDA is hunting down these type of crazy claims!

9 . Topol's heart attack gene didn't pan out, why would these?

10. A recent 23 gene panel failed to make the grade as well.

Let me be crystal clear.

I am glad that the number one reason for ordering a DTCG test was curiosity and not true medical concern in the "early adopters"

But I am concerned that may not be the case for the next wave. I am concerned they will take these genetic tea leaves and use them.

The problem, most of these tests are disproven or will be in the next couple of years.

Loose associations with small increased risks sounds a lot like fortune telling or phrenology. Or hell, even birth order....

Someday we will have good predictive models, 10-15 years from now. But NOT Now! Do you hear that VC country, SV, NYC, Hedgies?

10 year exit strategy. Not 2 not 8. So stop hyping this bull$h!t and go invest in Gold or Commodities or something for the love of god!

The Sherpa Says: Did you hear the one about the research geneticist? He keeps telling his wife how great their sex life WILL BE! Someday we will have this tool, let's try not to burn out and cynicize the public yet.....HT Francis Collins

23andMe enters the Clinical Medicine Realm!!!

As I had postulated before, in order to move towards a profitable direction the DTC companies would have to choose "Medically Relevant" or "Novelty Testing" From this recent email sent to me by a reader it is clear, 23andME is Choosing to become a clinical service, without accepting the clinical responsibility.

Hello Patient X,

There's a wealth of new information in your 23andMe account. Our scientists have recently added a number of new articles to our Personal Genome Service, including two that may be of special interest.

If you take cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, be sure to check the new article for Statin Response, which deals with rare but serious side effects that may be influenced by genetics.

And for our members who have the data> from our v2 chip, we've added important information about BRCA1 and BRCA2 -> genes with variants having a quite rare but significant correlation to breast and ovarian cancer - in BRCA Cancer Mutations (Selected).

You can read these or any of our other recently published reports here.

And check out the expanding list of topics being added by your fellow community members here. Please join the conversation!

Best Wishes,

The 23andMe Team

So there you have it! BRCA1 testing on the V2 chip from 23andMe. I never, ever, ever thought that they would lay this stake so quickly. Yes, it is clear. 23andMe wants to report, directly to the consumer BRCA1 genetic test results! It is a variant and it is being reported.

Do they have medical malpractice coverage?

Are they covered by HIPAA?

Do they have the HHS Certificate of Confidentiality? They are doing research on genomics!

NO.

Rest assured, I have forwarded this information on to the California Department of Public Health as well as EGAPP. People do deserve to know results of these tests, there is no doubt about that. But people also deserve to have the legal protections afforded to all others who do genetic testing through a provider. These protections include significant regulations mandated of labs as well as ordering providers.......

I said last month that we would know which way these companies will go in 6 months. Looks like it took 23andMe only 1 month.......

The Sherpa Says: Pharmacogenomics and BRCA testing is in the realm of Clinical Medicine my friend.......so shall end your punch line of "Testing for Fun" I look forward to you taking medical responsibility for your actions. I hope you do too.......