Staff in pharmaceutical company Novartis Ireland will be offered free cholesterol testing as part of a new partnership with healthcare solutions enterprise LetsGetChecked.
Founded in 2015, LetsGetChecked provides access to testing, virtual consultations, and medication delivery for a wide range of conditions.
Its cholesterol testing now includes Lipoprotein(a), more commonly known as Lp(a). Despite one-in-five people being affected by elevated Lp(a), it is not routinely included in standard lipid tests, despite elevated Lp(a) being a key marker of an increased risk for cardiovascular disease such as heart disease and stroke.
Lp(a) levels are largely determined by genetic factors (70-90 per cent), with minimal influence from dietary or other behavioural factors. However, lifestyle factors such as a healthy diet and exercise as well as managing conditions such as high blood pressure and high LDL-cholesterol are essential in reducing the overall risk of cardiovascular disease.
LetsGetChecked’s cholesterol testing with at-home sample collection provides employers with the opportunity to offer their staff an overview of key biomarkers of health, which are not regularly available.
Dr Robert Mordkin, LetsGetChecked’s Chief Medical Officer, said: “LetsGetChecked empowers individuals to manage their health from home. Our innovative solutions provide accessible and comprehensive health insights to enable early detection and proactive health management.”
Dr Paddy Barrett, Consultant Cardiologist, added: “If you have an early family history of heart disease then assessing your Lp(a) levels is crucial. Just because there is no currently approved therapy to reduce Lp(a) levels does not mean you cannot reduce risk overall.”
LetsGetChecked has offices in Dublin and New York and has served over ten million patients and more than 1,000 corporate customers with their at-home healthcare solutions. Novartis Ireland currently employs around 1,000 people in Dublin.
Its Innovative Medicines division (Pharmaceuticals) and the Novartis Corporate Centre (NOCC) are both located at Elm Park Business Centre.