{"id":13549,"date":"2026-10-21T11:00:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T11:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unidadmedica.com\/?p=13549"},"modified":"2026-10-21T11:23:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T11:23:06","slug":"lipoprotein-a-cardiovascular-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unidadmedica.com\/en\/blog\/lipoprotein-a-cardiovascular-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Lipoprotein(a): an inherited cardiovascular risk factor worth knowing"},"content":{"rendered":"

When people talk about cholesterol, they usually think of LDL, the so-called \u201cbad cholesterol\u201d. There is, however, another much lesser-known particle, lipoprotein(a)<\/strong> or Lp(a), which also affects the health of the heart and arteries. Its level is determined almost entirely by inheritance, so it can be high in people with healthy habits and an otherwise normal blood test.<\/p>\n

A particle similar to LDL cholesterol, with a component of its own<\/h2>\n

Lipoprotein(a) has a structure very similar to that of LDL cholesterol, but it carries an additional protein, apolipoprotein(a). This difference gives it a particular behaviour: it promotes the deposit of cholesterol in the artery wall, tends to favour the formation of blood clots and is linked to calcification of the aortic valve. For this reason, the European societies of Cardiology and Atherosclerosis regard it as a causal factor in cardiovascular disease and aortic stenosis.<\/p>\n

A level that is inherited and stays stable<\/h2>\n

More than 90% of the Lp(a) level depends on genetics. It is inherited from the parents, is reached in childhood and hardly changes throughout life. Unlike LDL cholesterol, it is not significantly modified by diet or exercise. It is estimated that roughly one in five people has raised values, in most cases without knowing it.<\/p>\n

Why measuring it once is enough<\/h2>\n

As it is a stable value, the European dyslipidaemia guidelines, updated in 2025, recommend measuring Lp(a) at least once in every adult\u2019s lifetime<\/strong>. It is determined with a standard blood test. Above 50 mg\/dL (about 105 nmol\/L), cardiovascular risk increases, and it does so progressively the higher the value is. Bear in mind that each laboratory may report the result in one of these two units, which are not directly interchangeable.<\/p>\n

Measurement is especially useful in these situations:<\/p>\n