One in five have 'widowmaker' condition that DOUBLES heart-attack risk
It's a silent condition affecting millions, lurking in the background until it leads to deadly heart attacks and strokes, experts told the Daily Mail. Yet few have ever heard of it.
TL;DR
- Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is a type of 'bad' cholesterol that raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes by causing inflammation and blood clots.
- Approximately one in five Americans (63 million) have elevated Lp(a), a largely inherited condition often missed because individuals can appear healthy.
- Lp(a) is not typically tested in standard cholesterol panels, and there is currently no medication specifically to treat it.
- High Lp(a) is genetically determined and can lead to damage accumulating over decades, potentially causing heart issues at younger ages.
- The CDC recommends testing for Lp(a) in individuals who have experienced a heart attack or stroke at a young age, or have a family history of early heart disease.
- While no specific treatment exists, doctors advise aggressively managing other cardiovascular risk factors like high LDL, blood pressure, and diabetes.
- New drugs targeting Lp(a) are in clinical trials, and a procedure called lipoprotein apheresis is available for a small number of high-risk patients.
- Doctors stress the importance of screening for Lp(a) as another piece of information for healthcare providers to develop individualized plans for cardiovascular risk reduction.