Today marks the official launch of the nationwide home testing study Ik test in the Breda region. Over the coming months, 40,000 individuals aged 50 to 75 will receive an invitation to check their health from the comfort of their own homes. Using simple self-tests, participants can detect early signs of atrial fibrillation and chronic kidney disease.

Why is this important?

In the Netherlands, 1.7 million people are living with cardiovascular disease, 1.8 million with chronic kidney disease, and 1.1 million with type 2 diabetes. These numbers continue to rise, with significant consequences for quality of life, healthcare costs, and premature mortality. Early detection and treatment of these conditions can help prevent serious complications such as strokes and kidney failure.

Ik test builds on earlier initiatives such as NierCheck and represents the next step in developing an accessible and cost-effective approach to detecting chronic conditions at an early stage.

The study is conducted by the Check@Home consortium—an initiative of the Dutch Heart Foundation (Hartstichting), the Dutch Kidney Foundation (Nierstichting), and the Diabetes Fund (Diabetes Fonds), supported by the Dutch CardioVascular Alliance (DCVA). The consortium brings together Dutch university medical centers and universities with private sector partners including AstraZeneca, Roche Diagnostics, Siemens Healthineers, Topicus, and Happitech. The study is led by Professor Dr. Folkert Asselbergs (Amsterdam UMC) and Professor Dr. Ron Gansevoort (UMCG).

The regions of Utrecht and Arnhem will follow later. In total, 160,000 Dutch residents will be invited to participate in Ik test.