23andMe Can Now Tell You If Your DNA Puts You at a Higher Risk for Diseases
by Karla Lant Dr. Gopal Murti/Science Photo Library/Getty Direct-To-Consumer 2.0 On April 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) changed course on genetic testing kits from 23andMe, indicating that the company can now directly tell consumers when their DNA puts them at a higher risk for 10 different diseases. The current 23andMe risk profile includes Alzheimer’s, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, hereditary thrombophilia, Parkinson’s, and Gaucher’s. The FDA’s turnaround is a gentler version of its original decision from 2013, which prevented the company from sharing these risks based on concerns they could be risky for consumers. The Director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Jeffrey Shuren, cautioned consumers in a statement , echoing the concerns that led to the previous ban on direct sales: “But it is important that people understand that genetic risk is just one piece of the bigger puzzle. It does no...