Personalized Genetic Scans: With gifts like these…

It was Christmas season in the Bay Area. A strapping and entirely healthy 27-year-old received from his parents, in lieu of a traditional gift, a personalized DNA analysis from one of the several companies providing such a service directly to the consumer. The results revealed that he was a carrier of genetic variants that increased his risk for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The young man was frightened and the family devastated…