A lipoprotein(a) test can identify an inherited cardiovascular risk factor that may not appear on a standard cholesterol panel.
Cardiologist Darya Velyamidova advises people with a family history of early heart attacks or strokes, familial hypercholesterolemia, or elevated lipoprotein(a) in a close relative to discuss the test with a doctor. She gave the advice on Telegram, Lenta.ru reported.
Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a particle that carries cholesterol. Its level is largely inherited and generally changes little over a person’s lifetime. A standard lipid panel may not include Lp(a), so a normal total cholesterol result does not rule out an elevated level.
High Lp(a) does not by itself mean that a person has atherosclerosis, Velyamidova said. It can indicate additional cardiovascular risk, which clinicians assess alongside LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking and diabetes. The American Heart Association also recommends that adults have their Lp(a) measured at least once in their lives.
Velyamidova said the test generally does not need to be repeated every six months. She advised discussing results and family history with a clinician rather than relying on one laboratory measure. In a separate comment, doctor Radion Tarnovsky listed one-sided limb swelling, pain or a feeling of pressure as possible signs of thrombosis.