Commissioner for primary healthcare Pang Fei-chau said on Saturday that it is expected more patients will be detected with high cholesterol after a government-led primary healthcare scheme expands to cover blood lipid testing from Friday.

The Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme, launched in November 2023, was set up to detect chronic diseases at an early stage. Under the scheme, the government will subsidise residents aged 45 or above with no known medical history of diabetes or hypertension, to undergo screenings for high blood sugar and high blood pressure.

So far, over 60,000 people have been screened under the pilot scheme, and nearly 40 percent were diagnosed with diabetes, high blood sugar, or high blood pressure.

Starting from Friday, the screenings will be expanded to blood lipid testing so people can find out whether they have high cholesterol.

Speaking on an RTHK programme, Pang said it is thought four percent of those screened might have high cholesterol.

He said treatment would have to be tailored to their needs.

“Three highs affect our cardiac health. If a person already has diabetes and also has high cholesterol, his or her risk of heart and blood vessel disease is high,” Pang said.

“However, if a person only has high cholesterol, the risk is different. Therefore, we will reassess the cardiac risk for people who have three highs,” he added.

Eligible residents can undergo the screenings through pairing with a family doctor of their choice. Residents will be charged a co-payment fee of about HK$150 for doctor consultations.

Pang said about 650 doctors have joined the scheme. He hopes they can share their experiences with industry peers so more doctors can join the scheme.