NEJM -- Effect of Genetic Testing for Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

Rosalie A. Kane, Ph.D., and Robert L. Kane, M.D. in New England Journal of Medicine Genetic testing can be considered a complex variant of diagnostic testing. If the results are not actionable, the findings may lead to anxiety or even life-disrupting actions with little offsetting benefit. Even if the results are actionable, the anxiety or actions resulting from disclosure may outweigh any benefit. Because the benefits of genetic testing are often modest, and the tests themselves are often imprecise in identifying risk, consideration must be given to potential harm in revealing the test results. A test that discloses an elevated risk of Alzheimer's disease — a fearsome condition involving memory loss, personality change, and physical . . . [Full Text of this Article] Source Information From the School of Public Health and Center on Aging (R.A.K., R.L.K.) and the Center for Biomedical Ethics (R.A.K.) — all at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. NEJM -- Effect of Genetic Testing for Risk of Alzheimer's Disease