Question

If you had the opportunity to take, free of charge, accurate and reliable genetic tests to determine your probability of developing a wide range of chronic diseases in your lifetime, from cancers to Alzheimer's Dementia, would you? Why or why not?

Some of these genetic tests already exist.

Discuss!

Answer 1

If I would get an opportunity to take free of charge, accurate and reliable genetic tests to determine the probability of developing a wide range of chronic diseases in my lifetime ranging from cancers to Alzheimer's dementia, I would definitely take this opportunity to make my life worth a living. Today people of this world are suffering from various diseases every other person of this world is suffering from one or the other disease and being a chronic disease is a major concern. If I am getting a golden chance of identifying my diseases which is going to destroy my livelihood then definitely it will be my priority to do. With this I can get help in various different levels like:

- in primary level I can identify about the risk of getting these kinds of diseases in my later life. If I get to identify it prior to getting disease then definitely I would try to prevent from getting it by taking better care of my unhealthy habits which will become an etiological or risk factor for the same.

- in secondary level if I am identified to get any diseases which are chronic to me, it will help me to get proper treatment or genetic therapy with which the gene which carries this disease can be removed or replaced with a healthy one.

- if tertiary level is reached then, the possibility of carrying this gene to my offspring can be controlled and can be stopped so that my future generations can be free from this conditions with which I am suffering from.

There are various different programs which promotes the genetic testing for free of costs. One of such program is Alnylam act hereditary ATTR amyloidosis. Here it is run by a partnership between the invitae and Alnylam which provides the genetic testing without any charge for those people who may carry a gene mutation within themselves.

The main purpose of this program is to reduce the barriers of the genetic testing and counselling in the people and inorder to help them get more informed decision about their health. There are some benefits of this program they are:

- to identify the risk of getting any kind of diseases in the patient and the family members

- to decrease the time for the diagnosis and to prevent the chance of misdiagnosis

- to make the patient understand about the importance about the clinical trials etc.