A high lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), level is different from many other cardiovascular risk factors.
You are largely born with it.
The amount of Lp(a) in the blood is mainly determined by genes. Diet, exercise and body weight usually have much less effect on Lp(a) than they do on many other cardiovascular risk factors.
This means that someone who eats well, exercises regularly and has favorable results on a standard cholesterol test can still have high Lp(a).
It also means that a high Lp(a) result can be relevant to the family.
Parents, children, brothers and sisters share genes. When one person has a markedly elevated Lp(a), close relatives may also have elevated levels.
This can be particularly important in families where heart attacks, strokes or other cardiovascular disease have occurred at a relatively young age.
Lp(a) usually causes no symptoms. It is also not routinely measured as part of a standard cholesterol test. Without a separate blood test, a person may therefore remain unaware of an elevated level for many years.
Knowing the result does not predict whether an individual will develop cardiovascular disease. It identifies one additional factor that can increase lifetime cardiovascular risk.
When Lp(a) is elevated, the overall cardiovascular picture becomes particularly important. LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and other modifiable risk factors can then be assessed and managed carefully.
For this reason, identifying high Lp(a) in one person can sometimes provide useful information not only for that individual, but also for the family.
