More than a third of individuals completing direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests share their results with their own physician within a year, and this sharing is associated with higher screening test completion, according to a study published online April 4 in the Journal of Medical Genetics. Additionally, there doesn’t seem to be any negative long-term psychological impact from DTC testing, whether or not results are shared. The researchers say that their findings suggest that potential test regulation mandating physician participation as a gatekeeper is unnecessary. While debate still lingers over the clinical utility and clinical validity of commercial genomic risk testing for common disease, the researchers sought empirical data to assess the psychological, behavioral, and clinical impact that testing had on participants in the year following receipt of results. The researchers studied a longitudinal cohort study of adults who purchased the Navigenics Health Compass with surveys at baseline (2008 to 2009), short (three months), and long term (one year following receipt of test results). Long-term follow-up was completed by 1,325 participants. There were no significant detrimental psychological effects from receiving test results nor were there significant improvements in lifestyle behavioral factors. Specifically, at long-term follow-up there were no significant differences from […]