What You Should Know:
– Helix, a leader in precision health, and WakeMed, a renowned not-for-profit health system in Raleigh, N.C., are joining forces to launch a large-scale precision medicine program in Wake County.
– The precision medicine initiative aims to improve health outcomes for residents by providing access to personalized genetic insights, enhancing disease prevention efforts, and supporting local health research.
A Community-Wide Effort to Transform Healthcare
WakeMed and Helix aim to enroll 100,000 participants over four years, this program will be the largest of its kind in Wake County. Participation is voluntary and free of charge, allowing individuals to gain valuable information about their genetic predispositions to certain health conditions.
Empowering Individuals with Personalized Genetic Insights
Through the program, participants will receive information about their genetic risk for:
- Certain cancers: Including hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, Lynch syndrome, and familial hypercholesterolemia.
- A cause of heart disease: Familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic condition that can lead to high cholesterol and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
Participants can also opt to receive information about their regional ancestry and genetic traits, such as caffeine sensitivity.
Leveraging Cutting-Edge Genomics Technology
Helix will utilize its end-to-end genomics platform and innovative “Sequence Once, Query Often®” model for this initiative. This approach allows for future genomic tests to be conducted without requiring additional patient samples, ensuring ongoing access to valuable health insights throughout participants’ lifetimes.
Improving Disease Prevention and Public Health
By screening a large population, WakeMed can identify genetic risks that may be prevalent in the local area and develop targeted health programs to address these specific needs. This proactive approach to disease prevention has the potential to significantly improve public health outcomes in Wake County and beyond.
“A community health research program developed through the strategic collaboration between WakeMed and Helix will help improve the health of the patients and the communities we serve,” said David Kirk, MD, chief clinical integration officer for WakeMed. “Having a better understanding of how DNA impacts our health brings us one step closer to learning about our genetic risk for common cancers and heart disease while increasing access to personalized medicine to all patients in our community.”
