FindCounseling.com Staff <p>Would you want to know if your genes put you at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease? New research suggests knowing may not be so bad after all.</p> <p>In a report published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers tested 162 individuals who had a parent with Alzheimer's disease. These participants received an educational session about Alzheimer's disease and genetic testing, after which they were tested for Apolipoprotein E (APOE), a gene linked to an increased risk of the disease.</p> <p>Researchers followed participants for a year, measuring levels of anxiety, depression and test-related distress at six weeks, six months and one year. They found that although levels of test-related distress were higher at six weeks, levels of depression and anxiety remained stable and on par with individuals who did not test positive for the gene.</p> <p>Although researchers note that participants received the news from specially trained genetic counselors and were pre-screened for emotional problems that could cause complications, these findings suggest that overall, the disclosure of genetic risk may not be psychologically harmful.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>ABSTRACT: <a href="http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/361/3/245" title="NEJM Abstract">Disclosure of APOE Genotype for Risk of Alzheimer's Disease</a></p> Alzheimer's disease, dementia 2009-09-17T11:12:06-05:00 5784 Alzheimer's disease, genetic, test, debate, depression, anxiety /help/news/2009/07/testing-for-alzheimer's-risk-does-not-lead-to-long-lasting-psychological-distress.html true 2009-07-17T16:12:06-05:00 testing-for-alzheimer's-risk-does-not-lead-to-long-lasting-psychological-distress A new study shows that learning you have a genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease does not produce long-term depression or anxiety. 2009-09-18T17:04:52-05:00