Canadians are overwhelmingly opposed to insurance companies having access to their genetic test results. A new Canadian law prevents insurers from using genetic information to determine coverage or pricing.
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Canadian insurance companies argue that a new law denying them access to genetic test results will raise the cost of insurance for everyone. That’s doubtful.
Australia has a lack of regulation to prevent discrimination by life insurance companies based on genetic test results.
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Life insurance applicants must disclose genetic test results if required by the insurer. While other countries have protected consumers from this, there is no such regulation in Australia.
Gina Ravenscroft, The University of Western Australia; Nigel Laing, The University of Western Australia e Royston Ong, The University of Western Australia
Most of us will be carriers of recessive genes that cause disease. If our partner carries the same gene we could pass it on to our kids. Testing exists, but what are the pros and cons?
If you were destined for dementia in your 60s, but there was nothing you could do about it, would you want to know?
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Genetic testing is revealing important information about disease risks, and consumers can now pay for a test to know their risk. They might be better off if their doctors considered these risks, too.
Providing a sample for a genetic test might not actually give you the health answers you’re looking for.
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Testing some genes for Alzheimer’s disease, coeliac disease and folate conversion does not lead to improved health outcomes, and may create anxiety or false hope amongst patients.
There are some things we can’t protect our children from.
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The rise of personalised medicine, which is mainly based on genetic testing, needs adequate regulation so privacy rights aren’t breached. That’s only one of several issues that must be considered.
Who’s in charge once your biological material is out of your body?
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Next-generation genomic research depends on study participants sharing their biological materials with scientists. But concerns over how that information is protected may hold some people back.
The cost-effectiveness and clinical utility of PGx tests is still uncertain.
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The High Court challenge is the last resort for Ms D'Arcy’s test case against companies patenting human genes and has implications for patients, clinicians and researchers.
Genomics is increasingly hailed by many as the turning point in modern medicine. Advances in technology now mean we’re able to make out the full DNA sequence of an organism and decipher its entire hereditary…
How much of Black Caviar’s racing prowess will be passed to her foal?
AAP/Georgina Lomax
The win of Japanese stayer Admire Rakti in the Caulfield Cup, followed by Irish bred colt Adelaide’s win in the Cox Plate last Saturday, has brought into question the stamina (staying) credentials of Australian…
Genome sequencing has the potential to improve the diagnosis of conditions caused by changes in the DNA.
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Clara Gaff, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) e Ivan Macciocca, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research)
Rapid technological advances mean it’s faster and cheaper than ever to read a person’s entire genetic code, known as the genome. Genomic sequencing has two potential applications in health: the care of…
Before the technology can used more widely, we need to ensure its use will bring improvements in health, quality and duration of life.
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Clara Gaff, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) e Paul Waring, The University of Melbourne
Sydney’s Garvan Institute is this week promoting its acquisition of an Illumina machine which it says can sequence the whole human genome for $1,000. The institute hopes genomic sequencing will become…
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne
Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, University of Oxford