Race, Genetics Could 'Disrupt' Pursuit of Using DNA to Tailor Medicine

She asks, "[W]hat kinds of determinations do physicians make before they consider BiDil as a treatment option? ... Exactly what percentage of African ancestry must one have to merit a particular drug marketed to black folks?"

She adds that the "goal of genetic science is appropriately targeted toward medical decisions that are individual. A person's genetic makeup will one day lead to very specific, indeed individualized medical advice. But as long as we equate genetics and race, we bring along a set of biases that could disrupt this important medical objective and urge the short cut of race as a stand-in for the scientific question." Holloway writes, "It's a slippery slope that could discourage our consideration of medically significant issues such as nutrition, stress and lifestyle".

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
LIN/P