Molecular diagnostics are at the frontier of medical science. But along with precise information about health, the tests raise billing questions that can create a minefield for patients.
Finding the right medication to treat mental health problems can be a frustrating trial-and-error process. New genetic tests aim to match meds to patients more effectively, but do they really work?
Will a genetic test for Type 1 diabetes risk be valuable to parents, despite its shortcomings? Now many parents don't know their kids have this condition until they end up in the hospital.
Doctors, lab technicians and telemarketers from around the U.S. were among those arrested in the investigation of a scheme that the DOJ alleges defrauded seniors and Medicare.
Genetic tests can now tell us a lot about our risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. But that doesn't mean people are prepared to receive the information.
Traditional blood tests still do a better job flagging common inherited diseases. Gene sequencing can be useful for detecting some conditions, but the results can be difficult to interpret.
Behavior and environment are big factors in a surge in obesity. Scientists are busy trying to identify the many genes that play a role in weight gain to develop a predictive obesity test.
A variety of genetic tests are available to screen both fetus and parents. One option that's growing in popularity is called an expanded carrier screening. The results can be useful and overwhelming.
Federal law keeps insurers from using genetic test results when pricing and issuing health insurance. But the tests might keep you from being able to get life insurance or a long-term-care policy.
Only about half the people with Alzheimer's symptoms get a diagnosis, partly out of fear of an incurable decline, doctors suspect. But Jose Bolardo says facing the future allows him to plan for it.
As home genetic testing continues to boom, more people are getting their DNA tested for health reasons. The tests may signal future disease, but there are many limitations that might falsely reassure.
Carl Zimmer wondered what secrets lurked in his genetic code — so he decided to have his genome sequenced. He writes about the implications of the study of genetics in She Has Her Mother's Laugh.
We asked Americans about genetic testing in the latest NPR-Truven Health Analytics Health Poll. People were generally OK with sharing the information with relatives and doctors, but not employers.
The Pennsylvania-based health care chain Geisinger Health System plans to soon offer DNA sequencing as part of routine care for all patients. Is there a downside?
Popular DNA ancestry tests don't always find what people expect. That's due to how DNA rearranges itself when egg meets sperm, and also the quirks of genetic databases.
There's a genetic test for ALD, the inherited disorder portrayed in the movie Lorenzo's Oil, and the federal government recommends it for all newborns. But only a handful of states offer it routinely.
Encouraged by their doctors, many people in recent years have taken tests to find out if they're at risk of disease. Now they worry the Republican health bills could make them vulnerable.
A study of whole genome sequencing found that while many people discovered genetic variations linked to rare diseases, they didn't overreact to the news.
The company 23andMe is now allowed to market tests that assess genetic risks for 10 health conditions, including Parkinson's and late-onset Alzheimer's diseases.
Most women with breast cancer say they want testing to know if they carry BRCA gene mutations that increase cancer risk, but only around half of women at high risk actually get tested.
Two recent studies comparing genetic cancer tests suggest that doctors need to be careful about assuming the results provide a complete picture for selecting among treatments options.
A study offering the parents of newborns a scan of thousands of the baby's genes raises a big question: Do you want this kind of information on disease risk in your child's permanent record?
Doctors worry that requiring patients to see a separate genetic counselor will keep them from getting tested for mutations that significantly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Some genetic tests for a common cause of sudden heart failure can be wrong, researchers say, because the underlying science didn't take into account racial diversity.
