Psychosocial impact on individuals who received negative test results from predictive testing for Huntington's disease: An exploratory qualitative study.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease with autosomal dominant inheritance, and no radical cure for HD has been established. Qualitative studies are necessary to investigate the psychological state of individuals who underwent predictive testing for HD, because the psychosocial impact on noncarriers remains unclarified in Japan. Herein, we elucidated the psychosocial impact on the noncarriers for HD and the role of genetic counseling for predictive testing and follow-up after testing by examining their experiences with predictive testing.

Decision-making processes behind seeking regular cardiac checkups for individuals with Marfan syndrome: A grounded theory study.

Patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS) present with various symptoms, such as aortic aneurysm/dissection, tall stature, and lens deviation. Among them, acute aortic dissection is a complication that leads to sudden death. Some individuals with MFS are reluctant to see a cardiologist and discontinue regular checkups until they develop life-threatening complications.