S'poreans can test for genetic condition causing high cholesterol levels under new programme
The new genetic testing programme for familial hypercholesterolaemia comes amid broader efforts to enhance preventive care in Singapore. - AFP
SINGAPORE: Eligible Singapore residents will be able to screen for a genetic condition which causes high cholesterol levels at a subsidised rate as part of a nationwide programme launching on June 30.
In a statement on June 19, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that the new genetic testing programme for familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) comes amid broader efforts to enhance preventive care in Singapore.
The initiative aims to identify individuals with FH early and reduce the risk of premature heart disease with timely interventions.
FH is a hereditary condition that impacts the body's ability to process cholesterol, affecting roughly 20,000 people in Singapore.
People with the condition are up to 20 times more likely to experience heart attacks at a younger age compared with the general population.
In a Facebook post on June 19, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that the Government is looking to expand preventive care based on genetic testing to more diseases beyond FH.
'It is part of our longer term effort to develop predictive preventive care under Healthier SG,' he said.
As part of this effort, the ministry aims to open three genomic assessment centres (GACs) to ensure effective, efficient and sustainable delivery of genetic testing services within each healthcare cluster.
Genetics testing for FH at these centres will be subsidised for eligible Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs). They can also tap on MediSave to offset the cost.
Those referred to GACs will undergo:
Pre-test genetic counselling to understand potential outcomes and benefits before consenting to the test
Blood drawing and the genetic test
Post-test genetic counselling, to understand the implications of the results
The first GAC will be operated by SingHealth and located at the National Heart Centre. It will start accepting referrals from June 30.
This centre will serve all Singapore residents until additional centres open. GACs operated by National Healthcare Group and National University Health System will subsequently open to cater to residents' needs.
Immediate family members of those found with the condition are at risk and encouraged to undergo genetic testing, MOH said.
Known as cascade screening, this process enables early detection of FH within families.
It also allows for more timely intervention and treatment, such as advising them to adopt healthier lifestyles or starting on cholesterol-lowering therapies.
Under the programme, Singapore citizens and PRs with abnormally high cholesterol levels may be referred by their doctors for genetic testing.
Eligible Singaporeans and PRs can receive subsidies of up to 70 per cent for the costs, which include the genetic tests, pre-test and post-test counselling, and phlebotomy services.
Seniors from the Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation are also eligible for additional subsidies.
After subsidies, referred patients can expect to pay between US$117 (US$91.06) and US$575. Those eligible for cascade screening can expect to pay between US$53 and US$253 after subsidies.
The MediSave500 and MediSave700 scheme can be used to further offset the cost of the genetic test after subsidies.
Patients who are 60 years old and above may also use Flexi-MediSave to further defray out-of-pocket costs.
Under a moratorium on genetic testing and insurance introduced by MOH and the Life Insurance Association Singapore (LIA) in 2021, life insurers here are banned from using predictive genetic test results in assessing the outcome of insurance applications, unless certain criteria are satisfied.
Insurers are also not allowed to use genetic test results from biomedical research or direct-to-consumer genetic test results.
MOH said it has worked with the LIA to amend the moratorium to disallow life insurers in Singapore to use the results of all genetic tests conducted under the national FH genetic testing programme.
They may, however, continue to request for individuals to disclose existing diagnosed conditions and family history.
The amended moratorium will take effect from June 30. - The Straits Times/ANN
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
37 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
UK MPs to decide fate of assisted dying bill in critical vote
LONDON: British lawmakers could take a major step towards legalising euthanasia on Friday when they hold a knife-edge vote on whether to allow assisted dying for terminally ill people. MPs will either progress the legislation to the House of Lords upper chamber for further scrutiny or end it entirely following several hours of impassioned debate. Protesters both for and against the contentious bill are expected to gather outside parliament as the so-called third reading – the MPs' last chance to debate its contents – takes place inside. "It is about real people facing the prospect of a painful and undignified death either for themselves or a loved one," the legislation's proposer, MP Kim Leadbeater, told AFP in a statement. "The injustice and inhumanity of the status quo means we cannot wait any longer to offer them the hope of a better death." The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill would allow assisted suicide in England and Wales for adults with an incurable illness who have a life expectancy of fewer than six months. They would have to be able to administer themselves the life-ending substance, and any patient's wish to die would have to be signed off by two doctors and a panel of experts. A change in the law would see Britain emulate several other countries in Europe and elsewhere that allow some form of assisted dying. Supporters say euthanasia would give the terminally ill greater protections and choice at the end of their lives, but critics worry that vulnerable people could be coerced into dying. The Royal College of Psychiatrists said last month that it had "serious concerns" about the safeguarding of people with mental illness and said it cannot support the bill in its current form. MPs backed the proposed legislation by 330 to 275 votes at an initial vote in parliament last November. Since then the bill has undergone several changes, including applying a ban on adverts for assisted dying and allowing all health workers to opt out of helping someone end their life. Several lawmakers in the 650-seat parliament have subsequently switched positions, and parties are not telling them how to vote, making the outcome difficult to predict. An ITV News tracker of around half the parliamentarians estimates that 153 MPs plan to vote for changing the law, with 141 against. Some 21 remain undecided with another 21 due to abstain. Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords need to approve the legislation before the end of the current parliamentary year, likely sometime in the autumn, or the bill will fail. If it passes and receives royal assent, then it would be four years before an assisted dying service is implemented. A government impact assessment published this month estimated that approximately 160 to 640 assisted deaths could take place in the first year, rising to a possible 4,500 in year 10. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to vote in favour but several of his top ministerial team, including the health and justice secretaries, have publicly opposed changing the law. Assisted suicide currently carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Malay Mail
5 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Singapore to launch nationwide genetic testing for hereditary cholesterol disorder
SINGAPORE, June 20 — Singapore will begin a national genetic testing programme for a potentially life-threatening cholesterol disorder on June 30, the country's Ministry of Health (MOH) announced yesterday. The initiative targets early detection of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), a hereditary condition that impairs the body's ability to manage cholesterol levels. Left untreated, FH can raise the risk of heart attacks by up to 20 times, particularly at a younger age. An estimated 20,000 people in Singapore may be affected by FH. The new programme will be rolled out at three Genomic Assessment Centres (GACs), each operated by one of Singapore's healthcare clusters. The first centre — run by SingHealth — will be housed at the National Heart Centre and will begin accepting referrals from June 30. Two more centres, under the National Healthcare Group and National University Health System, will open in stages. The GACs will provide both pre- and post-test genetic counselling to help patients understand the outcomes and implications of their test results. The test involves a blood draw and genetic analysis to confirm the presence of FH. Who qualifies for testing? Singaporeans and permanent residents with LDL-C cholesterol levels of 5.5mmol/L (212mg/dL) or higher — considered abnormally high — may be referred for FH testing. If confirmed to have FH, their immediate family members, including parents, siblings and children, will also be encouraged to undergo testing through a process known as cascade screening. 'This allows for timelier intervention and treatment, such as advising them to adopt healthier lifestyles and starting them on cholesterol-lowering therapies, if necessary,' said MOH. Subsidies and costs The total cost of FH testing — covering blood collection, lab analysis, and counselling sessions — will be subsidised by up to 70 per cent for eligible Singaporeans and permanent residents. After subsidies, patients can expect to pay between S$117 (RM387) and S$575. Immediate family members of FH-positive individuals can expect subsidised costs of between S$53 and S$253. Additional financial support is available through the MediSave500/700 schemes, and seniors aged 60 and above can also use Flexi-MediSave to reduce their out-of-pocket expenses. MOH noted that most patients who test positive for FH will require long-term management through medication and lifestyle changes, such as improved diet and regular exercise, to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Patients are encouraged to continue follow-ups with their primary care provider, such as polyclinics or GP clinics. Those enrolled in Healthier SG will also have access to subsidised chronic medication for FH. Singapore's Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a Facebook post yesterday that the programme reflects Singapore's push toward predictive preventive care. 'We want to expand preventive care based on genetic testing to more diseases, beyond FH,' he wrote. 'It is part of our longer-term effort to develop predictive preventive care under Healthier SG.'
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
S'poreans can test for genetic condition causing high cholesterol levels under new programme
The new genetic testing programme for familial hypercholesterolaemia comes amid broader efforts to enhance preventive care in Singapore. - AFP SINGAPORE: Eligible Singapore residents will be able to screen for a genetic condition which causes high cholesterol levels at a subsidised rate as part of a nationwide programme launching on June 30. In a statement on June 19, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that the new genetic testing programme for familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) comes amid broader efforts to enhance preventive care in Singapore. The initiative aims to identify individuals with FH early and reduce the risk of premature heart disease with timely interventions. FH is a hereditary condition that impacts the body's ability to process cholesterol, affecting roughly 20,000 people in Singapore. People with the condition are up to 20 times more likely to experience heart attacks at a younger age compared with the general population. In a Facebook post on June 19, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that the Government is looking to expand preventive care based on genetic testing to more diseases beyond FH. 'It is part of our longer term effort to develop predictive preventive care under Healthier SG,' he said. As part of this effort, the ministry aims to open three genomic assessment centres (GACs) to ensure effective, efficient and sustainable delivery of genetic testing services within each healthcare cluster. Genetics testing for FH at these centres will be subsidised for eligible Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs). They can also tap on MediSave to offset the cost. Those referred to GACs will undergo: Pre-test genetic counselling to understand potential outcomes and benefits before consenting to the test Blood drawing and the genetic test Post-test genetic counselling, to understand the implications of the results The first GAC will be operated by SingHealth and located at the National Heart Centre. It will start accepting referrals from June 30. This centre will serve all Singapore residents until additional centres open. GACs operated by National Healthcare Group and National University Health System will subsequently open to cater to residents' needs. Immediate family members of those found with the condition are at risk and encouraged to undergo genetic testing, MOH said. Known as cascade screening, this process enables early detection of FH within families. It also allows for more timely intervention and treatment, such as advising them to adopt healthier lifestyles or starting on cholesterol-lowering therapies. Under the programme, Singapore citizens and PRs with abnormally high cholesterol levels may be referred by their doctors for genetic testing. Eligible Singaporeans and PRs can receive subsidies of up to 70 per cent for the costs, which include the genetic tests, pre-test and post-test counselling, and phlebotomy services. Seniors from the Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation are also eligible for additional subsidies. After subsidies, referred patients can expect to pay between US$117 (US$91.06) and US$575. Those eligible for cascade screening can expect to pay between US$53 and US$253 after subsidies. The MediSave500 and MediSave700 scheme can be used to further offset the cost of the genetic test after subsidies. Patients who are 60 years old and above may also use Flexi-MediSave to further defray out-of-pocket costs. Under a moratorium on genetic testing and insurance introduced by MOH and the Life Insurance Association Singapore (LIA) in 2021, life insurers here are banned from using predictive genetic test results in assessing the outcome of insurance applications, unless certain criteria are satisfied. Insurers are also not allowed to use genetic test results from biomedical research or direct-to-consumer genetic test results. MOH said it has worked with the LIA to amend the moratorium to disallow life insurers in Singapore to use the results of all genetic tests conducted under the national FH genetic testing programme. They may, however, continue to request for individuals to disclose existing diagnosed conditions and family history. The amended moratorium will take effect from June 30. - The Straits Times/ANN
