Patients with both a high lipoprotein(a) and high coronary artery calcium score (CAC) face a more than 20% risk of heart attack or stroke over the following 10 years, according to findings from a multicenter study led by preventive cardiologists at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
"We are hopeful that by making the connection between Lp(a) and CAC as dual risk drivers, we can raise awareness in the medical community and improve earlier heart attack prevention for these patients," said cardiologist Parag Joshi, M.D., Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern.
"Our data may also expedite the development of treatments designed specifically for this high-risk population," said Dr. Joshi, a member of the Clinical Heart and Vascular Center at UT Southwestern.
Approximately one in six people in the U.S. have high Lp(a), a type of bad cholesterol whose levels are driven largely by one's genes. Coronary artery calcium, known as CAC, is a marker of plaque deposits around the heart.
The team of researchers, which included researchers from Emory University, found that participants with combined high Lp(a) and high CAC had a 22% 10-year risk of heart attack or stroke, compared with a 10-15% 10-year risk in patients who had either risk factor alone.
Investigators identified three distinct risk-related trends:
- High Lp(a), high CAC: These individuals face the highest 10-year risk of heart attack or stroke.
- High Lp(a), zero CAC: 10-year heart attack and stroke risk is low when there is no CAC, even if Lp(a) is high.
- Low Lp(a), high CAC: 10-year heart attack or stroke risk is higher than average but lower than with high LP(a) and high CAC combined.
