People are seen at a metro station in Singapore, May 2023. Photo by Read/Minh Nga
Eligible residents of Singapore will be able to access subsidized genetic testing for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a genetic condition causing high cholesterol levels, as part of a national initiative launching June 30.
The Ministry of Health announced Thursday that the program is part of the broader Healthier SG strategy, a national initiative emphasizing preventive healthcare. The program aims to identify individuals with FH early and reduce their risk of premature heart disease through timely medical interventions, according to a statement on the ministry’s website.
FH is an inherited disorder that impairs the body’s ability to process cholesterol, affecting approximately 20,000 people in Singapore. Individuals with FH have up to a 20-fold increased risk of experiencing heart attacks at a younger age compared to the general population.
In a Facebook post Thursday, Singaporean Health Minister Ong Ye Kung shared that the government also intends to expand genetic testing to other conditions beyond FH.
“It is part of our longer term effort to develop predictive preventive care under Healthier SG,” he wrote.
General practitioners and polyclinics will help identify individuals potentially affected by FH. These individuals and their immediate family members, such as parents, children, and siblings, will be referred for genetic testing. Those who test positive will receive recommendations for preventive healthcare measures.
The genetic testing will be subsidized by the government, and eligible residents can also utilize MediSave, Singapore’s national medical savings scheme, to cover healthcare expenses including hospitalizations, day surgeries, and certain outpatient treatments.
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