Poll: Would You Have Your Child Genetically Tested?

A survey was recently conducted in which parents were offered the chance to have their children tested for eight adult-onset diseases: colon, skin and lung cancer,  heart disease, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. The survey concluded that the vast majority of parents would prefer to know if their children are at risk for any of the aforementioned conditions. Mothers were more interested in having their kids tested than fathers.

These direct-to-consumer tests “do not always produce consistent results and are easy to misinterpret without professional guidance,” according to MedicineNet.com.

Dr. Robert Saul said that his concern with these tests is how a family might interpret them in regards to lifestyle. Perhaps a family may become less lenient with exercise or healthy dieting if they discover that their child is not at risk for high blood pressure.

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