Americans like convenience. There are fast food restaurants everywhere, multiple ways to get restaurant meals delivered straight to your door, and phones that do almost everything for us. It’s no wonder, then, that we also want convenience when it comes to our healthcare. If there is something wrong with us, we want to know what it is as fast as possible and how to fix it by yesterday—which may explain why so many of us are now looking to take care of our health quickly and from the convenience of our homes by turning to at-home lab tests for self-testing.
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) testing, in which consumers can do a variety of lab tests at home, is hardly new. Most of us are familiar with, and have used, some of the more common ones, such as home pregnancy or diabetes tests, or in recent years the all-too-familiar Covid-19 antigen home test. These at-home lab tests offer fast, convenient, and confidential health information and, at least in the case of Covid, can quickly and accurately make the diagnosis.
Instead of having to go somewhere to be tested, DTC tests allow the consumer to take their own sample (such as blood or saliva) and either perform the test at home and read the result (with a test kit) or send the sample to a laboratory for results (collection kit). These tests are so popular that nearly half of U.S. adults between the ages of 50 and 80 have purchased or received at least one of them, according to the University of Michigan National Poll on Aging.
While the idea of taking control of our own health through at-home lab testing sounds like a great idea, it isn’t without some downsides. When you have lab work ordered by your physician, the results are read and interpreted by the doctor, who uses those findings to help decide how to provide you with the best medical care. However, because DTC tests don’t require a doctor’s involvement, consumers may end up with test results that are confusing, inaccurate, or useless.
Take, for example, the popular DTC genetic tests that generally look for a select and limited group of genes thought to be associated with certain health risks. Because most of these tests are not FDA regulated and results vary by manufacturer, you won’t necessarily be getting an accurate genetic picture. In turn, these inaccurate or confusing results may cause some people to forgo important medical treatment, such as following certain dietary changes or taking medication, if they think they are at low genetic risk of heart disease, for instance. Alternatively, some tests may suggest a condition that is actually not present, potentially leading to unnecessary medical intervention.
Another concern is that many DTC tests are marketed as offering health solutions when in fact they are nothing more than unregulated, expensive lifestyle tests. The FDA does not regulate many of the DTC tests that consumers are told can help solve their weight issues, improve their sexual function, or help them get a better night’s rest. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) tests, which supposedly diagnose food sensitivities through a simple blood sample taken at home and then shipped to a lab, are also problematic. Manufacturers of these popular tests often allege that food sensitivities are causing or worsening health issues like headache, bloating, or abdominal pain and suggest that knowing your sensitivities will lead to better health. The tests are purported to work by identifying those foods to which your system has developed antibodies, and this allegedly demonstrates an intolerance.
The problem? We all develop antibodies to the antigens present in food simply as a natural response to exposure to that food. However, this doesn’t mean the food is making you sick. Consumers desperate for a seemingly quick solution can spend hundreds of dollars on this kind of test and make drastic lifestyle changes for literally no reason at all.
Taking charge of your own health is commendable. That’s why being aware and informed about the potential risks of many popular DTC tests is important. If you do choose to use DTC tests, ask your healthcare provider to help you understand what the results actually mean. You can find out if a DTC test is FDA approved by searching this FDA database.
