Lp(a) is a genetically determined, stable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and aortic valve stenosis, independent of LDL cholesterol. There is currently no approved medication that directly lowers Lp(a), although promising studies are underway. A high value is reason to monitor other modifiable risk factors such as LDL, blood pressure, and smoking with extra care.
About one in five people has an elevated Lp(a), and most do not know it because it is not measured as part of routine testing anywhere. That is a shame, because it is one of the few risk factors that you inherit almost entirely from your parents and that remains stable throughout your life. A single blood test at your GP is therefore enough to know your situation once and for all.
What the result tells you: a high value means you carry an additional risk of cardiovascular disease and of narrowing of the aortic valve, on top of whatever other factors already contribute. It does not determine your risk on its own, but it is an independent factor that stands apart from, for example, your LDL cholesterol. A low or normal value is reassurance for life; a high value gives you reason to manage factors such as LDL, blood pressure and smoking with extra care.
There is currently no approved medication that lowers Lp(a) itself, but promising research is under way. A high value is therefore not a reason for panic, but it is a reason to take the factors you can influence more seriously. You only need to have the test done once, because the value barely changes over the course of your lifetime.
Strong evidence, based on 1 source(s), including controlled or causal research.