Study Confirms that High Lp(a) Causes Heart Disease

A high level of Lp(a), a form of LDL cholesterol is an important risk factor for heart disease. A new study suggests that it is a cause of – not just a risk factor for – coronary artery disease. Researchers studied the genes of 3,245 people with coronary arery disease and 3,352 people without disease. Having certain genes was associated with increased Lp(a) levels and cardiac risk. But it was the Lp(a) levels, not whether a person had the genes themselves, that was most strongly associated with heart disease. The study appeared in the December 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.