Back to Basics Slide Deck Resource

Patients with elevated Lp(a) are up to three times more likely to be diagnosed with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease than those with lower levels, with accompanying increased mortality. This slide deck summarises key evidence linking high levels of Lp(a) with primary and recurrent cardiovascular events.

For clinicians who are now aware of the importance of Lp(a) testing in all their adult patients, this slide deck explains how testing can be integrated into daily practice, and how Lp(a) tests results are reported and interpreted, with implications for overall cardiovascular risk assessment and patient care.

Through a series of case studies, this slide deck considers the evidence linking key risk factors to elevated Lp(a) (ethnicity, genetics, menopause, kidney diseases, thyroid disease) and, in the absence of specific Lp(a) targeting agents, the guidelines-based risk management recommendations for patients in high Lp(a) risk groups.

In this slide deck, we address some of the key questions about what makes Lp(a) such an important risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and aortic valve stenosis, including the impact of apo(a) isoform size on Lp(a) concentration, and the role of Lp(a) as a major carrier of proinflammatory oxidised phospholipids.