The Daily Campus
Alex Oliveria
April 14, 2017
Over the past decade or so, genealogy tests have become quite common. In these tests, customers send a DNA sample to a company via a saliva swab, and for around $100, they receive a report about their genetic heritage, all without the involvement of a doctor or similar medical professional. These tests have traditionally been restricted to genealogical heritage, but one company by the name of 23andMe has officially received approval from the FDA to run tests to report medical health risks for ten diseases including, but not limited to, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, hereditary hemochromatosis and hereditary thrombophilia, according to NPR report. However, even though these direct-to-consumer tests have been approved, they should not be used for self-diagnosis of diseases.