# Are you going to take the new genetic predisposition home test kit drugstores are carrying? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2010, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-going-to-take-the-new-genetic-predisposition-home-test-kit-drugstores-are-carrying/539152 "2010-05-12T08:05:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-going-to-take-the-new-genetic-predisposition-home-test-kit-drugstores-are-carrying/539152/1 "2010-05-12T08:05:01Z")
[Walgreens Drug Stores To Carry Home Genetic Test Kits](http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/walgreens-drug-stores-to-carry-home-genetic-test-kits-051110) Interesting. Might be worth giving it a whirl. I’m 51 and it would be useful to know what might be on the horizon. > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON - Starting Friday, most of the Walgreens drug stores around the country will start selling genetic testing kits over the counter. > > Available for years over the internet, the saliva collection kits can be sent to the manufacturer, Pathway Genomics, for testing to see if consumers are predisposed to as many as 70 health conditions including cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. > > Some genetics experts are troubled that the tests will be so readily available. At the American College of Medical Genetics, medical director Barry Thompson, MD recommends that people consult with a medical professional before buying a test to discuss what the test means and what it can or cannot do. > > Genetic counselor Judith Benkendorf said sometimes people get results they are not prepared for. The experts said there are privacy concerns and concerns about insurance discrimination if a person is tagged with certain medical conditions. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-going-to-take-the-new-genetic-predisposition-home-test-kit-drugstores-are-carrying/539152/2 "2010-05-12T08:40:17Z")
I ordered the complete package from [23 and me](https://www.23andme.com/) a few weeks ago. Saw their complete package on [slickdeals.net](http://slickdeals.net) for 80% off for one day ($100 instead of $500) and I figured what the hell. I’ve read that some of the correlation type data for medical conditions is fairly weak and not all that useful to know, but the ancestry stuff is kind of interesting and I figured it’d be fun info on the cheap. My only concern is having my genetic data on file somewhere, and if it somehow ends up being used against me in the future. I’m a little nervous about sending it in for that reason. But if the reforms block discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, I would imagine you’d be ok with non-existing conditions which your genetics suggest are slightly more likely? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-going-to-take-the-new-genetic-predisposition-home-test-kit-drugstores-are-carrying/539152/3 "2010-05-12T08:47:19Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I ordered the complete package from [23 and me](https://www.23andme.com/) a few weeks ago. Saw their complete package on [slickdeals.net](http://slickdeals.net) for 80% off for one day ($100 instead of $500) and I figured what the hell. I’ve read that some of the correlation type data for medical conditions is fairly weak and not all that useful to know, but the ancestry stuff is kind of interesting and I figured it’d be fun info on the cheap. > > My only concern is having my genetic data on file somewhere, and if it somehow ends up being used against me in the future. I’m a little nervous about sending it in for that reason. But if the reforms block discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, I would imagine you’d be ok with non-existing conditions which your genetics suggest are slightly more likely? Do they actually do the whole genome? I would think they’d only do the 70 tests. Doesn’t each test actually involve using up the sample? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-going-to-take-the-new-genetic-predisposition-home-test-kit-drugstores-are-carrying/539152/4 "2010-05-12T08:58:52Z")
No, they don’t sequence your entire genome. They just sequence a fraction of your genes that are known to correlate with some conditions and ancestry information. They explain the technical side [here](https://www.23andme.com/howitworks/). I’m not sure how DNA sequencing and identification works and all that. If this ended up in a big genetic database someday, is there enough information from these sorts of tests to identify someone from a DNA sample? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-going-to-take-the-new-genetic-predisposition-home-test-kit-drugstores-are-carrying/539152/5 "2010-05-12T17:53:52Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > But if the reforms block discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, I would imagine you’d be ok with non-existing conditions which your genetics suggest are slightly more likely? They can’t _deny_ coverage based on that, but you better believe they’ll charge you higher premiums if they have reason to believe you’re going to get cancer. When this company was doing its market research I took a bunch of paid surveys (and an online focus group) about how I felt about such a product. I was vehemently against it and said I’d never use it. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-going-to-take-the-new-genetic-predisposition-home-test-kit-drugstores-are-carrying/539152/6 "2010-05-12T19:38:22Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > No, they don’t sequence your entire genome. They just sequence a fraction of your genes that are known to correlate with some conditions and ancestry information. > > They explain the technical side [here](https://www.23andme.com/howitworks/). > > I’m not sure how DNA sequencing and identification works and all that. If this ended up in a big genetic database someday, is there enough information from these sorts of tests to identify someone from a DNA sample? As a technical nitpick, they don’t actually do any sequencing. What they do instead is distinguish between common variants at a given part of some particular gene. They do not sequence the whole gene, though some genetic testing companies are beginning to do this. In practical terms, sequencing a particular bit of DNA is more expensive than a simpler genotyping test. I do this sort of thing all the time in the lab – sending out a sample for sequencing costs $7.50, versus $1 for a simpler genotyping reaction (and $0.25 worth of reagents if I do the simpler test myself). I’ll try to explain the difference with a hypothetical example. Say that 93% of the population has a “normal” version of some gene of interest, and 7% have a (relatively) common variant that puts them at increased risk of a disease. Simple genotyping would be able to distinguish those two groups. Now, nothing in biology is that simple – we may learn someday that a small number of those in the “normal” group actually have spontaneous and essentially unique variants in the gene which also affect their disease risk. Sequencing would be able to identify those sorts of mutations. However, it’s not easy to determine whether a given rare mutation can affect a disease, so the information isn’t very valuable to the individual carrying the mutation. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-going-to-take-the-new-genetic-predisposition-home-test-kit-drugstores-are-carrying/539152/7 "2010-05-12T19:57:02Z")
Oh, and personally I am very wary of this sort of testing. I couldn’t find any useful technical information on the website of Pathway Genomics. 23 and Me has a bit, but not very much. I want to know exactly which markers each company is testing for, what my genotype is, along with a long list of citations in the scientific literature for each marker. I would never spend any money on a company that would only tell me “you’ve got a slightly higher risk of disease x”. Though since I work in a bio lab myself, I’ve been tempted to test myself using the same tools I use every day… ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-going-to-take-the-new-genetic-predisposition-home-test-kit-drugstores-are-carrying/539152/8 "2010-05-12T23:47:36Z")
If you’re worried about privacy, insurance, etc., I think it would be a much better idea to get the testing done outside of your regular medical system. If you ordered a similar battery of tests through your doctor, there is just no way that the results wouln’t be part of your medical records. If I was going to do this, I’d do it totally anonymously. False name, PO box address, money order to pay, etc. Then, if I got some results that really concerned me, I would think about discussing it with my doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-going-to-take-the-new-genetic-predisposition-home-test-kit-drugstores-are-carrying/539152/9 "2010-05-13T00:43:29Z")
Not so fast … > [@](#): > > Walgreens on Tuesday said it will begin selling personal genetic testing kits on Friday, the first major retail chain in the U.S. to offer the home tests. > > The Deerfield, Ill.-based drugstore chain has an agreement with Pathway, a startup that offers genetic health and ancestry reports. > > But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration told the Chicago Tribune it is investigating claims made by the San Diego-based company and Walgreens in marketing its genetic test, which has not been approved by U.S. regulators. “We are in the process of investigating this test,” said Alberto Gutierrez, director for the FDA’s office of in-vitro diagnostics. “We weren’t aware of this test previously.” [http://www.latimes.com/news/health/sns-health-fda-genetic-test-kits,0,5790665.story](http://www.latimes.com/news/health/sns-health-fda-genetic-test-kits,0,5790665.story) ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-going-to-take-the-new-genetic-predisposition-home-test-kit-drugstores-are-carrying/539152/10 "2010-05-13T03:49:51Z")
End of the road … > [@](#): > > Walgreen Co. reversed a decision to carry genetic test kits in its stores after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began looking into the supplier. The Deerfield-based drugstore had planned to begin stocking its shelves with the Pathway Genomics home test kit on Friday, as reported by the Tribune yesterday. Walgreens’ decision was announced within hours after the FDA released an enforcement letter sent to San Diego-based Pathway giving it 15 days to respond to the agency’s request for information regarding its controversial genetic home test kit. > “In light of the FDA contacting Pathway Genomics about its genetic test kit and anticipated ongoing discussions between the two parties, we’ve elected not to move forward with offering the Pathway product to our customers until we have further clarity on this matter,” Jim Cohn, a Walgreens spokesman, said late Wednesday. [http://www.chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2010/05/walgreens-declines-to-carry-genetic-test-kits-amid-controversy.html](http://www.chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2010/05/walgreens-declines-to-carry-genetic-test-kits-amid-controversy.html)