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15 January 2026 Nationwide genetic screening proves effective at catching disease risk early A study in Australia supports genetic screening in young adults before symptoms show, but the generalizability and cost–benefit ratios need to be examined in other settings. By Teri A. Manolio ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5844-4382 0 Teri A. Manolio Teri A. Manolio is in the Division of Genomic Medicine, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-6908, USA. View author publications PubMed Google Scholar
Cancer and cardiovascular disease are leading causes of death in high-income countries. Often, symptoms of these conditions become apparent only in late-middle or older ages, when they have progressed to advanced and potentially irreversible forms. Genetic screening for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer and familial hypercholesterolaemia (high cholesterol), as recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1, can identify people who are at increased risk of these conditions long before they develop. This enables enhanced screening or treatment to prevent their often devastating consequences. Yet large-scale, population-wide genetic screening remains an unattained goal, with few studies having tested its feasibility and impact outside of selected private health systems. Writing in Nature Health, Lacaze et al.2 evaluated the uptake and yield (the number of at-risk individuals identified) of genetic screening among roughly 30,000 adults aged 18–40 years in a prospective nationwide pilot in Australia.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00035-8
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Competing Interests The author declares no competing interests.
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