Lipoprotein a- responsible for heart attacks
Posted on June 11, 2009
Filed Under high cholesterol | Leave a Comment
High cholesterol levels are normally treated with statin drug therapy, however in many high cholesterol patients statins do not reduce lipoprotein a level, they only reduce LDL. Lipoprotein a is one of the lipoprotein subclasses which contains apolipoprotein(a).
The concentration of lipoprotein a levels varies between individuals from as little as <0.2 to over 200 mg/dl, and is thought to be largely determined by our genes. In a recent study involving 45 000 individuals, those with high levels of lipoprotein a had a significantly greater risk of heart attack. Despite these patients being on a statin their lipoprotein a levels would probably stay elevated increasing their risk of heart attack, and other pathologies such as stroke.
The main focus will now be on other cholesterol lowering drugs which have the ability to reduce lipoprotein a levels as well as LDL levels. Niacin and aspirin have both been shown to reduce Lipoprotein a, however niacin is associated with red flushes rendering it unsuitable for long term use. Long term trials now will no doubt focus on obtaining a safe drug which is effective in reducing all forms of bad cholesterol.
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