That Personal Touch (Letters) (Letter to the Editor‪)‬

To the Editor: Last year I sent a vial of my spit to a prominent direct-to-consumer genetic testing company. The company's Web site promised that, in return, I would get genetic risk information that would allow me to "make lifestyle choices" and "make more informed decisions" about my health--in other words, personalize my health behaviors and medical care. When the results arrived I found little that was helpful. There was lots of fun and interesting information. It was, after all, information about me--one of my absolute favorite topics. And the data were presented in a sophisticated and engaging manner that made them easy to understand. But was there any information that should or would nudge me toward adopting a unique and personalized preventive strategy? Not really.