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Genetic testing for Alzheimer’s disease may be appropriate for families with a history of early onset of the always fatal and common form of dementia — but only if genetic counseling comes with it, experts say in new guidelines.
The advice is aimed at clinicians, researchers and the public, said Norman Foster, director of the University of Utah’s Center for Alzheimer’s Care, Imaging and Research.
Problems can arise if a primary care doctor orders a test with results that may or may not be valid, and then lets the patient digest the information without the necessary context, Foster said.
"I’ve had patients referred to me who have already had inappropriate genetic testing," he said. Those patients believe they have been definitively diagnosed, he explained, but they haven’t.
The need for guidance was highlighted by a debate at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference last week in Paris, where researchers and others weighed the value of easier brain scans and eye, blood and spinal-fluid testing on people who don’t yet have symptoms. An Associated Press-LifeGoesStrong.com poll this past week shows baby boomers fear memory loss second only to cancer. Continue to read: sltrib.com
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