Some of the bevy of news coming out of the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease has focused on identifying individuals with the disease earlier and more accurately , something researchers have been trying to do for years . But experts debate the value of screening or early detection of a disease for which there is currently no treatment that slows progression, and which could cause needless distress. A small study in today’s New England Journal of Medicine examines the notion that learning about your genetic risk of Alzheimer’s could lead to anxiety and distress, and finds that disclosure doesn’t appear to cause an undue amount of psychological distress for those who test positive for a well-known risk factor. Researchers studied 162 people who had a parent with Alzheimer’s but no symptoms themselves, and gave 111 of them information about whether they had a version of a gene, ApoE4, that is linked with an unusually high likelihood of developing the disease. The others weren’t told about their genetic risk.

The individuals who were ApoE4-positive were, predictably enough, significantly more distressed than those who were told they were ApoE4-negative — but the level of distress was “well below the clinical threshold for concern,” according to the authors. Including those who tested both positive and negative, the group that was given genetic risk information were no more anxious, depressed or distressed than those who weren’t told. That proved true at six weeks, six months and one year after disclosure. “These data support the psychological safety of disclosing data regarding genetic-counseling protocols to screened adult children of patients with Alzheimer’s disease who request such information, despite the frightening nature of the disease and the fact that disclosure has no clear medical benefit,” conclude the authors in their paper. Health Blog Question of the Day: Given the chance, would you take a test to find out whether you’re ApoE4-positive? Image: Getty Images

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Do You Want to Know If You’re at Higher Risk for Alzheimer’s?