Genetic testing is being done for a large number of genetic diseases that have a

Question

Genetic testing is being done for a large number of genetic diseases that have a Mendelian, i.e. single-gene, pattern of inheritance. It has been very successful at predicting the risk of rare genetic diseases.

There are some traits that are medically significant such as hypertension which are multifactorial in nature. Their genetics is understood by the principles of quantitative genetics. There has been progress in identifying genes that are involved in variation in these traits, but it is not recommended that genetic testing be offered for these traits.

Provide and explain one reason why genetic testing is not appropriate to use genetic testing to predict whether someone will develop hypertension later in life, even though genetic testing has been very successful at predicting people’s risks of developing Mendelian genetic disease.

Explanation / Answer

Hypertension does not exist in individuals in primitive populations but may develop when such individuals are translocated to a Western environment with more salt intake and stress. Salt sensitivity (i.e., raised blood pressure associated with salt intake) may be under genetic control.Genetic tests that predict the development of hypertension would be useful once preventive measures to avoid high blood pressure are clearly defined.

The reason why genetic testing is not appropriate to predict hypertension in earlier stages in life may be the perspective of the people who think that it is a curable disease and if by chance it happens it can be treated like any other common disease.Also generally people think that knowing of the disease prior to its occurrence would increase mental worries so they leave themselves to the fate to decide what will happen in the future.

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