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Previous Volume 334:1192-1194 May 2, 1996 Number 18 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Genes have become the preferred way to explain all types of ill health and unwanted behavior. Some of the attributions seem fairly clear-cut, but many are being embraced uncritically and oversold. This situation can be troubling for clinicians, as well as for the general public. It is often hard to be sure that genes do account for someone's complex condition, such as circulatory problems or cancer. But even when such an association seems fairly clear, it is hard to know what practical conclusions to draw. Unfortunately, many of these uncertainties arise from the way genes function, not just from shortcomings . . . [Full Text of this Article]

References

Related Letters:

Pitfalls of Genetic Testing
Stern H. J., Maddalena A., Schulman J. D., Foulkes W. D., Bunn H. F., Stossel T. P., Forget B. G., Stamatoyannopoulos G., Weatherall D. J., Hubbard R., Lewontin R.C.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1996; 335:1235-1237, Oct 17, 1996. Correspondence

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