Genome Sequencing Is Not Ready To Become A Standard Feature Of Routine Health Care

To use DNA testing as a method for preventing disease has long been campaigned for by both scientists and laymen. But as the number of genomes mapped increases, evidence is mounting that using DNA to predict health risks is anything but precise—at least at our current state of knowledge. This article covers a new study conducted with 56 Canadian participants: their genome testing results were compared with their actual health state and in several cases, the ‘DNA discoveries’ were showed to be completely inaccurate. One example was Participant No.16, on paper showing a heart defect that was a ticking time bomb. In reality, he was a healthy 67-year old with a normal heart and a love of skiing.

Studies like this show us that we still have a lot to learn from mapping genomes and that false positives often occur. Usage of the method will only increase because DNA sequencing is rapidly getting cheaper.

As the article explains:

Study leader Stephen Scherer, director of both the McLaughlin Centre at U of T and the Centre for Applied Genomics at Sick Kids, says people send him emails almost daily asking if they should have their whole genomes sequenced. His answer: "At the current time, unless you have a medical query that can't be explained by traditional means … don't. But when the price comes down, into the hundreds, or less, there's not going to be a question any more – it's just going to happen."