Virtually all human diseases are the result of the interaction between genetic factors and environmental factors such as diet, infectious agents, or toxic chemicals. Scientific advances in genetics are rapidly increasing our understanding of which genetic variations contribute to human health and disease. Identifying which environmental factors interact with these genetic variations to produce disease promises to lead to new opportunities for disease prevention.

How does CDC meet the challenge of ensuring the safe and effective use of genetic information to prevent disease?

• CDC provides national leadership in the use of human genetic information to prevent disease. CDC’s National Office of Public Health Genomics (NOPHG) addresses the public health impact of advances in genetic research and helps coordinate the translation of genetic information into public health research, policy, and practice.

• CDC collaborates with public and private organizations to ensure the quality, safety, and effectiveness of genetic tests. As genetic testing technology rapidly develops, CDC fosters partnerships and collaboration for evaluating the quality of laboratory methods, the validity of these methods in predicting disease, and the health benefits of a genetic test.

• CDC helps determine the impact of genetic variation on the health of U.S. communities. To assess the health impact of genetic variation, CDC promotes population-based research projects. The results will provide insight into how to prevent disease by changing the nongenetic factors that interact with genes to produce disease.

• CDC educates and trains health professionals about the role of genetics in disease prevention. By sponsoring conferences, workshops, training, and career development opportunities, CDC is helping health professionals learn how to use genetic information in disease-prevention efforts.

• CDC disseminates information about genetics and health. An array of information for both scientists and the public is hosted on CDC’s website, and recent news in genetics is sent out in a weekly electronic update. Research on how the public perceives the relationship between genetics, genetic testing, and health will assist future health communication efforts.