From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Fri Jul 18 2003 - 06:38:25 MDT
The NY Times is linking 5-HTT alleles to depression susceptibility.
July 18, 2003
Gene Is Linked to Susceptibility to Depression
By MARY DUENWALD
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/18/health/18DEPR.html?pagewanted=print
Interesting that the long (good) alleles is present in 43% of the
population vs. the short (bad) alleles are present in 17% of the
population. Assuming the population they picked is representative
this leads to a couple of interesting questions -- Is there selective
pressure against depression? and if so -- why isn't there *more*
selective pressure against depression? (17% would be a fairly high
level to be carrying in a population IMO).
The biggest fault IMO:
"Still, they said it was too early to use 5-HTT as a diagnostic test."
Ca-ca -- one might say that if one didn't have therapeutics at this
time but that isn't the case here. If genotyping can help serve as
a diagnostic tool then one should allow physicians to use it even
with preliminary data.
Robert
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