By Vijay Kumar MalesuApr 2 2024Reviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc. In a recent review published in the journal npj Genomic Medicine, a group of authors examined the ethical, legal, and psychosocial implications of using genetic risk information in life insurance underwriting and its contribution to genetic discrimination .
Background Polygenic scores represent a breakthrough in genomics, providing insights into an individual's susceptibility to a variety of health issues by summing up the effects of numerous disease-associated genetic variations. Although the clinical promise of PGS has been widely explored, its impact on the insurance sector, especially in evaluating risks for widespread complex diseases, has not been as thoroughly examined.
Clinical applications and challenges of PGS PGS are increasingly valued in clinical settings, mainly for categorizing risk rather than diagnosing diseases. These scores could transform how populations are screened for widespread, complex diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes by influencing treatment and risk management plans.
Clarifying protections against GD Current regulatory frameworks designed to prevent GD often apply to traditional genetic tests, leaving ambiguity around the inclusion of PGS. This lack of clarity, combined with PGS's expansive potential, poses a risk of increasing the instances and scope of GD within life insurance underwriting.