MetaQon introduces genetic screening panel in India to detect 53 age-related health risks

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Sweden-based MetaQon Precision Health has announced the India availability of its Elderly Care genetic panel, designed to help identify predisposition to 53 age-related conditions spanning nine categories: cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, osteoporosis, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, respiratory disease, vision and hearing loss, mental health conditions including depression and anxiety, and how a person may respond to common medicines such as aspirin, statins and clopidogrel.

The panel is designed to be read and acted on by a treating clinician, giving families and physicians additional information to support earlier, more informed conversations about an older adult's health.

India already has an estimated 153 million people aged 60 or older, a number projected to more than double to 347 million by 2050. A nationally representative study of Indian adults in that age group, the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, found that nearly a quarter already live with two or more chronic conditions at the same time, with hypertension affecting close to a third, bone and joint disease close to one in five, and diabetes around one in seven, well before most families start paying close attention.

MetaQon's Elderly Care panel analyses a person's genetic predisposition across all nine categories and combines that with their existing diagnostics and lifestyle information, giving a treating clinician additional information to consider, not a substitute for their own evaluation.

The pharmacogenetics component is particularly relevant for older adults, many of whom are already on daily aspirin, statins, or blood thinners such as clopidogrel. Genetic variation can affect how a person metabolises these medicines, and flagging that alongside a person's other results is intended to give a treating physician additional context to weigh alongside standard clinical practice, not to replace it.

MetaQon's Elderly Care panel is available now through MetaQon's network of clinic partners in India. Clinics and hospitals interested in offering it to their patients can reach MetaQon through the contact details below.