The global direct-to-consumer lab test market is predicted to see 26 percent compound annual growth through 2031, according to a report by Albany, N.Y.-based Transparency Market Research. The growth will likely far outpace that of the overall clinical lab test market's, forecast at a 7.3 percent rate through 2028.
Direct-to-consumer testing allows patients to order tests directly from a laboratory without going through their healthcare provider, and often at lower cost.
The anticipated growth is attributed to aging populations, rising demand for early disease detection and diagnosis, and the increasing prevalence of lifestyle-associated and infectious diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cancer and STDs.
Genetic testing dominated the direct-to-consumer market in 2020, according to the report, and it's predicted to continue doing so through 2031.