Annals of internal medicine
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Sudden death in a family is associated with serious anxiety among family members. Assessing the cause of death may help determine the risk for other family members, thus alleviating some anxiety. ⋯ Once a diagnosis is made, relatives should receive genetic testing and clinical assessment to stratify their risk. Depending on their risk, various interventions are available, including medication, defibrillators, and lifestyle modifications.
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Review
Cases in Precision Medicine: Concerns About Privacy and Discrimination After Genomic Sequencing.
Patients and research participants have indicated that privacy of their genetic test results is an important concern, particularly with respect to insurance coverage. Internists and other physicians whose patients ask about legal protections for information generated by genome sequencing for clinical purposes can provide both reassurance and caution. Protections for medical information in general, as well as laws in some states that provide additional safeguards for genetic data, should reassure patients that this information will remain private. Patients themselves will need to weigh the risks versus the benefits of generating genomic data in deciding whether to undergo exome sequencing.