Most genetic testing requires a doctor’s prescription.But in April 2017, the U.S. FDA gave genetics company 23andMe the go-ahead to sell DNA tests assessing risk of ten health conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. This was followed nearly a year later by approval to sell tests for three gene mutations in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 linked to increased breast cancer risk. These remain the only FDA-approved direct-to-consumer (DTC) tests for genetic risk of disease.

In my latest piece for IEEE Pulse magazine, I take a look at the potential and pitfalls of DTC genetic tests. Read it here: Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing.