Synlab chief says half of young Czechs have raised cholesterol

Kateřina Billy Daňišová, CEO of the laboratory network Synlab, told the Forbes Next Big Thing conference in Brno that today's technology makes it possible to detect hidden health risks in people who feel perfectly healthy. According to the company's own research, nearly 45% of people aged 20 to 29 have elevated LDL cholesterol, even though they themselves believe they don't need preventive checkups.

According to Daňišová, blood “never lies” — but what has fundamentally changed is the sheer volume and precision of the data that can now be extracted from it. She points to a new liquid chromatography mass spectrometer as an example: an expensive but promising device that allows detailed monitoring of vitamin and metal levels in the body.

The head of Synlab herself stresses, however, that more laboratory data doesn't automatically mean better healthcare. Context is what matters most — the same test result can point to different diagnoses in different people. Synlab processes data on more than a million people every year, and Daňišová sees the ability to connect that information with modern technology and international experience as one of the biggest changes coming to healthcare.

The company is shifting its focus from reacting to symptoms toward prevention. In Brno, Synlab presented a mobile testing unit where people can, among other things, check their cholesterol, testosterone and thyroid hormone levels — according to Daňišová, the testosterone test is especially popular among clients paying for services themselves. The company also offers such mobile units to corporate clients: if an employer uses anonymised employee data, it can, for example, adjust the cafeteria menu if most staff show elevated cholesterol or blood sugar.

Large volumes of laboratory data are also opening up space for artificial intelligence, which Synlab is already applying when working with anonymised information. According to Daňišová, the company's future lies not in accumulating ever more data, but in using it more practically so that patients stay healthy for longer.

By the Around Prague newsroom