Genes and Health

Genes and Health section

Is genetic testing good for health? Will gene therapy one day correct our faulty genes and eliminate disease? Some genetic tests can be useful, but genes are poor predictors of common diseases in most people. Read about the limitations of a genetic approach to our health problems.

Recent Articles

  • GeneWatch PR: Twins study obesity claims irresponsible, says GeneWatch UK
    7th February 2008

  • in Articles and other external links
    Scientific paper by GeneWatch's HM Wallace

    This scientific paper looks at how data from twins and families is analysed. It concludes that the usual method is likely to exaggerate the importance of genetic differences in common diseases such as cancer. Breast cancer, for example, could often run in families because family members are exposed to the same environmental or lifestyle factors, rather than because relatives share some of their genes. If so, expensive research studies may be looking for "susceptibility genes" which do not exist or will be impossible to find.

  • Seminar: Nutrigenomics and the future of food

    Scientists researching the links between genes, health and diet - the field of nutrigenomics - argue that this personalised approach could transform healthcare.

    GeneWatch, in partnership with Demos and the Food Ethics Council, held a seminar to debate whether this was possible and desirable.

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