Are You Interested in Genetic Testing?

     A new study conducted by University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital has found that six in ten Americans are interested in genetic testing to see their risks (and their children's) for serious illnesses. The study also looked at the population that had the highest interest in mapping their genes and their children's genes. This population consisted mainly of parents who had children with two or more health conditions. The population behind this higher interest makes sense to me because I would want to know what other illnesses my child is predisposed to if they already have health concerns. By doing so, I can help take preventative measures to insure that my child can be as healthy as possible. However, the researchers who surveyed the population noted that it is very hard to deal with the results once the is complete. They wrote, "First, interpreting the data is challenging because we are not sure what all of the data means. Second, even if you can interpret the data then you may not know what to do with the interpretation". If your gene sequencing shows that you are predisposed to a certain illness, what can you do to prevent it? You are not even sure if the illness will present itself, let alone figuring out preventative measures? Personally, I think that gene sequencing is a useful tool in becoming aware of the nature of your genes. I don't think it should be used to diagnose potential illnesses because that will just create a widespread panic.

Original Article

Interested in getting your genes tested?

The Future of Knowing your Height before Adulthood

There was a study done on height variations at Erasmus University Medical Center (Rotterdam, Netherlands). Professors Manfred Kayser and Stenvert Drop led and collaborated the study. A rather large sample size of seven hundred seventy-seven extremely tall cases and nine thousand of normal height as the control. It also included 180 DNA variants from the previous study which implicated normal height, and the new results were compared to the old study.

The results of this study were compiled through DNA-based prediction. This DNA-based prediction helps in accuracy of results. It had been used for eye color, hair color, and age before, and now for the height. However, the results are still quite lower than what it should have been. With some more improvement I believe, it could only be useful in several areas. Medical usage is one, specifically looking at endocrinology, and crime scene investigations are a few that can be named.