Introduction
Recently, the FDA has approved the Groundbreaking New Lipoprotein a test, or lp(a) Blood Test: A New Era in Heart Disease Risk Assessment.
Do you know your true risk factor for heart disease? A new blood test may finally offer some answers. In this article, I will explain to you what Lp(a) or lipoprotein (a) is, and why it is important, a genetically determined risk factor for cardiovascular disease, independent of traditional cholesterol. Recently FDA has given clearance for this test, which is significant because it is the first test of its kind.
Purpose of this article
All of you know that the levels of LDL and HDL determine whether you are at risk of heart disease.
However, I would like to highlight that a discovery was made in 1990, revealing the existence of other important blood markers for heart disease. The most important is the lp(a) levels. Lp(a) is the short form for lipoprotein(a). Lp(a) is more dangerous than LDL cholesterol.
Lowering lp(a) is very important. But a proper blood test is required. Recently, a new method of measuring lp(a) has been approved by the US FDA.
What is lp(a), and why does it matter?
Lp(a) is a molecule similar to LDL cholesterol, with an additional protein molecule attached to it. That protein is called Apo lipoprotein B-100.
The peculiarity of lp(a) is that it has a high affinity to stick to damaged arteries compared to LDL cholesterol. A 1990 US Patent describes that the main composition of arterial plaque is made of lp(a), and a small amount of LDL cholesterol
Why do doctors not talk about lipoprotein(a)?
There are several reasons why doctors do not discuss it.
Firstly, the use of statins does not lower lipoprotein(a) levels. Lowering lipoprotein(a) with statins was tried, but was not successful.
Lowering lipoprotein(a) naturally with cholesterol-lowering foods or cholesterol-lowering products like stanols and sterols was not effective.
Research is extensively carried out to find the drugs that can lower lp(a) levels. Some success has been obtained with products known as PCSK9 inhibitors. Few drugs are approved in the USA and also in India. But they are very costly.
It is a very important risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and aortic stenosis.
New Lipoprotein a Blood Test for LPA from Roche
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared a new blood test for lipoprotein a from Roche Diagnostics designed to measure the amount of lipoprotein (a), or Lp(a), in a person’s bloodstream using molar units instead of mass units.
The Roche Diagnostics Tina-quant Lipoprotein (a) Gen.2 molarity assay is the first FDA-cleared blood test to measure Lp(a) in nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) as opposed to milligrams per deciliter. This is intended to ensure all measurements are accurate and not influenced by differences in particle size.
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Resources
FDA clears first blood test of its kind for Lp(a)
https://cardiovascularbusiness.com/topics/clinical/heart-health/fda-clears-first-blood-test-its-kind-lpa
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Supplements like Lypro-C can lower lipoprotein(a) levels.