| Genetic testing for susceptibility to common diseases is becoming increasingly available. This may pose a danger to consumers, partly because results of such tests are complex: for example, results are often communicated as risk using percentages, yet public understanding of risk is low. The aims of this study were to examine public interest in genetic testing for heart disease, and to assess whether test results are understood correctly by health professionals and the public. 428 individuals completed an online survey which included questions on interest and understanding of genetic test results. 73.1% of respondents expressed interest in heart disease genetic susceptibility testing. Objective understanding of genetic risk was low (only 51.3% correctly responded to a relative risk question), and no higher amongst health professionals than non-health professionals. The results suggest that genetic risk is poorly understood. Further research into effective methods of genetic risk communication is needed. |
