Genetics and Disease Prevention: Complementary or Contradictory?
Abstract
Clinicians may feel that nothing can be done to change genes, so prevention in a genetic context seems ridiculous. The reality is that genetic preventive healthcare has been a part of clinical practice for years and that future applications are almost limitless. It will soon be possible to sequence an individual's genome, scan it for important gene variations, and create an individualized health plan to modify the effects of these variations, optimizing that individual's health over a lifetime. This article presents an overview of selected clinical disorders, describes ways in which genetics is already being used to improve clinical outcomes, and offers a glimpse into the future of personalized medicine.
Keywords: disease prevention , epigenetics , family history , genetics , health promotion , human genome , metagenomics , pharmacogenomics
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, the Uniformed Services University, the Department of Defense, or the US government.This continuing education activity is designed to augment the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of nurses and nurse practitioners regarding the use of genetics in primary care.At the conclusion of this activity, the participant will be able to:
The authors, reviewers, editors, nurse planners, and pilot testers all report no financial relationships that would pose a conflict of interest.The authors do not present any off-label or non-FDA approved recommendations for treatment.There is no implied endorsement by NPA or ANCC of any commercial products mentioned in the article.
PII: S1555-4155(10)00212-6
doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2010.04.002
© 2010 American College of Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
