Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
"The lists of preventable conditions that stand to benefit from such genetic screening often include Type 2 diabetes, which has significant genetic and environmental components and can be prevented with weight loss or medications such as metformin."
Introduction
As technology has improved and costs have decreased, the increasing availability of genomic testing promises genotype-tailored medical care. In this vision of the future, one's genotype can guide disease treatment decisions to optimize efficacy and minimize adverse reactions. Knowledge of one's genetic susceptibility may also help target primary prevention strategies before the onset of certain diseases. The lists of preventable conditions that stand to benefit from such genetic screening often include Type 2 diabetes (T2D), which has significant genetic and environmental components[1] and can be prevented with weight loss or medications such as metformin.[2] There is hope that the knowledge of one's genetic risk for T2D before disease onset will facilitate prevention by motivating patients for earlier and greater improvement in health behaviors, such as diet and physical activity. What follows is a discussion of whether the current scientific evidence supports such hopes.
Personalized Medicine. 2013;10(1):9-12. © 2013 Future Medicine Ltd.