"Clues to Your Health Are Hidden at 6.6 Million Spots in Your DNA" - Gina Kolata
With a sophisticated new algorithm, scientists have found a way to forecast an individual’s risks for five deadly diseases. By surveying changes in DNA at 6.6 million places in the human genome, investigators were able to identify many more people at risk than do the usual genetic tests, which take into account very few genes. People may need genetic counseling before and after getting these sorts of risk scores, noted Eric Schadt, PhD, dean of precision medicine, professor of genetics and genomic sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and founder and CEO of Sema4, Patients may not appreciate the consequences of learning they have a high likelihood of having a heart attack or breast cancer or one of the other diseases the test assesses. “Do people really understand that once you learn something you cannot unlearn it?” said Dr. Schadt, who is also chief executive of Sema4, a diagnostics company.
- Eric E. Schadt, PhD, Dean, Precision Medicine, Professor, Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Founder and CEO, Sema4
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