Genetics and preventive health care.

BACKGROUND

Advances in our understanding of the genetics of common chronic disease is beginning to impact on clinical practice and preventive health care.

OBJECTIVE

This article discusses the potential for genetic medicine to inform disease prevention strategies. It describes two examples already affecting clinical general practice: familial hypercholesterolaemia and hereditary haemochromatosis. These represent important inherited conditions that, if diagnosed early, can be simply treated and their complications avoided.

DISCUSSION

General practitioners can play an important role in the early diagnosis of these conditions and subsequent screening of at risk relatives. These conditions highlight the potential for genetic medicine to be applied to support tailored disease prevention in general practice.