GPs could soon find themselves battling with patients insisting they are not at risk of heart disease because of genetic test results, a professor has warned.
The gene tests are becoming increasingly available to the public – but patients and even doctors may not understand their implications, according to Professor Nadeem Qureshi, a primary care teacher at Nottingham University.
He said families might undergo genetic testing because of having a family history of heart disease.
The results might encourage them to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
But others might be "falsely reassured" by learning there was no known genetically increased risk of developing heart disease.
He has set out his findings in the British Journal of General Practice.
He said: "With this type of test being offered commercially direct to the public, general practitioners are increasingly exposed to genetic test results.
"They need to have an understanding of the complexity and relevance of these test results. This will be particularly challenging when the genetic test result is not consistent with coronary heart disease risk identified through conventional cardiovascular risk assessment and the family history.
"The results need to be presented in a clearer way, to enable the patients to take account of all of the assessments and test results. This is important to ensure that the patient maintains a healthy lifestyle."
BJGP April 2014
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