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 Natio...