Comments on: Navigenics Announces Clinical Partnership with Toronto’s Medcan Clinic http://www.genomicslawreport.com/index.php/2009/07/23/navigenics-announces-clinical-partnership-with-toronto-medcan-clinic/ News and analysis from the intersection of genomics, personalized medicine and the law Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:02:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dan Vorhaus http://www.genomicslawreport.com/index.php/2009/07/23/navigenics-announces-clinical-partnership-with-toronto-medcan-clinic/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Dan Vorhaus Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:55:40 +0000 http://www.genomicslawreport.com/?p=389#comment-33 Thanks for your comment, Evelyn. Whether or not AD is "actionable" is certainly a topic that has generated a fair bit of discussion. One important distinction is whether or not a condition such as AD is "actionable" in the sense that a physician or other healthcare professional would take some medical or clinical action on the basis of a positive diagnosis. In this sense I think that the general consensus is, at least at this time, that AD is not medically or clinically actionable. Discussions with researchers in this field, including one this afternoon with one of the authors of the recent REVEAL paper in the NEJM (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/361/3/245), have confirmed this to me. That said, you are quite right to point out there are still steps that individuals diagnosed with AD can take that, although perhaps not medically significant, are nevertheless significant for the individual and his or her family. Estate planning, provision for long term care and other actions would all fall into this category, as would a decision to participate in future AD clinical research. Thank you again for the excellent comments. Thanks for your comment, Evelyn. Whether or not AD is “actionable” is certainly a topic that has generated a fair bit of discussion. One important distinction is whether or not a condition such as AD is “actionable” in the sense that a physician or other healthcare professional would take some medical or clinical action on the basis of a positive diagnosis. In this sense I think that the general consensus is, at least at this time, that AD is not medically or clinically actionable. Discussions with researchers in this field, including one this afternoon with one of the authors of the recent REVEAL paper in the NEJM (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/361/3/245), have confirmed this to me.

That said, you are quite right to point out there are still steps that individuals diagnosed with AD can take that, although perhaps not medically significant, are nevertheless significant for the individual and his or her family. Estate planning, provision for long term care and other actions would all fall into this category, as would a decision to participate in future AD clinical research.

Thank you again for the excellent comments.

]]> By: Evelyn Cadman http://www.genomicslawreport.com/index.php/2009/07/23/navigenics-announces-clinical-partnership-with-toronto-medcan-clinic/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Evelyn Cadman Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:54:59 +0000 http://www.genomicslawreport.com/?p=389#comment-32 I would like to comment on your question regarding the inclusion of markers for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in the Navigenics / Medcan Clinic screening program. The fact that AD is a devastating disease for patients and their families, for which there is no cure or well defined treatment options, is precisely why it should be part of the screening. While there is no one drug or surgery that can be used to treat AD, there are numerous studies that indicate that some foods, specialty nutrients, even physical and cognitive exercise may slow disease progression for some patients. Knowledge that one may be afflicted with AD can allow those potential AD patients to take steps early to perhaps delay onset. Knowledge of predisposition to the disease could allow people to make informed decisions regarding long term care, estate planning, etc. Furthermore, people who learn they are genetically predisposed to AD may be able to ease the disease for those who may be afflicted in the future by participating in clinical studies. I would like to comment on your question regarding the inclusion of markers for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in the Navigenics / Medcan Clinic screening program. The fact that AD is a devastating disease for patients and their families, for which there is no cure or well defined treatment options, is precisely why it should be part of the screening. While there is no one drug or surgery that can be used to treat AD, there are numerous studies that indicate that some foods, specialty nutrients, even physical and cognitive exercise may slow disease progression for some patients.

Knowledge that one may be afflicted with AD can allow those potential AD patients to take steps early to perhaps delay onset. Knowledge of predisposition to the disease could allow people to make informed decisions regarding long term care, estate planning, etc. Furthermore, people who learn they are genetically predisposed to AD may be able to ease the disease for those who may be afflicted in the future by participating in clinical studies.

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