Could saliva tests become the future of diagnosis? : NPR
NPR • • health
Key Points:
- Saliva tests currently detect viruses like HIV and COVID-19 and assess genetic risks for diseases such as breast cancer, with potential future use for diagnosing conditions like diabetes and prostate cancer.
- These tests could enable earlier disease detection and preventative treatment, but high costs and lack of insurance coverage limit their widespread use in dental care.
- Most saliva tests are not FDA-approved, except for those detecting HIV and COVID-19; however, some companies are seeking FDA approval for cancer detection tests, motivated by new Medicare coverage mandates.
- Saliva testing faces challenges due to variability in saliva composition influenced by factors like eating or smoking, but researchers aim to identify reliable disease markers across diverse populations.
- Experts see salivary tests as a complementary
