Government investigators say genetic tests mislead consumers with bogus results

GAO investigators say DNA tests give bogus results

WASHINGTON — Government investigators say personalized DNA tests that claim to predict a person’s likelihood of developing diseases are misleading and offer little or no useful information.

An undercover investigation by the Government Accountability Office found that four genetic testing companies delivered contradictory predictions for the same person’s DNA. Investigators also found that the test results often contradicted patients’ actual medical histories.

The GAO reported their findings at a Congressional hearing to scrutinize companies that mass-market personalized DNA tests.

The Energy and Commerce Committee will later hear testimony from three genomic testing companies: 23andMe, Navigenics and Pathway Genomics Corp.