Genome reveals deadly diseases

• May 17, 2024

For a thousand dollars, an Icelandic biopharmaceutical company leader in the exploration of the human genome, is able to tell us what diseases we can suffer and eventually, what we can die of. Are you interested?

According to the doctor Alfredo Carrato , president of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology To have genetic information about a patient, of course, has an undoubted value.

However, Carrato said: "Each disease is the result of an interaction of the environment with the genome. This information must be evaluated in a complete context, so that it is valued by a medical team that knows the patient's history and environment. "

Dr. Carrato also fears the psychological impact that this genetic data may have, for example in the case of a high risk of certain types of genetic damage. Cancer :

"Before doing this test the patient should undergo a psychological evaluation, once it is considered that they are able to receive this information without alterations, it can be done."

Certain restrictions

On the other hand, Eduardo de Teresa , president of the Spanish Heart Foundation, believes that "later this information will be really valued:" I think it is still early to evaluate it and in the case of heart disease, the value of the genetic profile when anticipating the probability of risk it's especially low. "

And he gives an example: "In twin brothers in which the genetic profile is the same, but one is obese and smokes and the other is thin and does not smoke, what is going to happen is that the risks that one runs are not going to have anything what to see with which the other runs. "

What a genetic profile What you can do is help convince the obese and smoker brother to change their habits, the expert says. The possibility that there is a genetic tendency to die of a certain disease can act as an alert to encourage people to live healthier.

For his part, the doctor Carlos Macaya , head of cardiology at the Hospital Clinico de Madrid, is more skeptical. He believes that the value of the genetic information currently available is limited and that there are better ways for a person concerned about their health to invest their money.

For example, in something that would make him happy, that would lower his stress , that will improve your self esteem and it will relax you like having a bicycle or the shoes that you dreamed so much. The idea is to enjoy each day with intensity, as if it were the last of our life.

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