Penn doctors will soon offer some patients a genetic test to measure their risk of heart disease.
The new test will identify eight potential warning signs in patients’ DNA and help doctors prescribe prevention strategies that tailor to each individual’s medical condition, said Daniel Rader, director of Penn’s Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine and Lipid Clinic.
Rader said the genetic test is “more accurate than relying on family histories, which often miss high-risk patients.”
The medical community, however, is divided over whether these tests are ready for use. According to a Feb. 15 Philadelphia Inquirer article, there is little evidence that knowing the result of genetic markers will actually help prevent heart disease. Furthermore, it may be difficult for doctors who are not well-versed in genetics to interpret the results.
There are also concerns that insurers may not pay for the tests, or consider a bad result to be a pre-existing condition that would drive insurance premiums up for certain individuals.
However, Rader said he was “optimistic” that insurers would sign on and paying for the tests, and that patients should be protected by the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act.
