SAN CARLOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lipoprotein(a) Foundation:
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WHAT: |
Lipoprotein(a), also known as Lp(a), is currently the strongest monogenetic risk factor for coronary heart disease and aortic stenosis.2 Unfortunately, for some people, the first sign of disease is a heart attack or stroke. |
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• It is estimated that 1 in 5 people globally have inherited high Lp(a): 63million in the U.S.4 |
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• If an adult has high Lp(a), there is at least a 50% chance of their children inheriting it. |
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• Poor lifestyle habits do not contribute to high Lipoprotein(a). Diet and exercise has little to no impact on lowering Lp(a). |
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• In the 2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk in Adults, elevated levels of Lp(a) are associated with an increased risk for a premature cardiovascular event. In 2010, the European Atherosclerosis Society recommended screening for elevated Lp(a) as a priority for reducing cardiovascular risk. |
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WHY: |
Up to 120,000 Lp(a) Related Cardiovascular Events Go Undetected Each Year1; Simple Blood Test Could be First Step in Preventing |
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• Lp(a) concentrations can be measured by a simple blood test, but it is not included in most standard lipid panel tests that check cholesterol levels. 1 |
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• A study recently published in JACC shows that the current cholesterol guidelines miss 8% of people who have a cardiovascular event whose only risk factor is high Lp(a).1 |
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• When you consider 1.5 million cardiovascular events each year in the U.S. 5, that equals 120,000 potentially preventable events with proactive screening for Lp(a)1. |
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CALL TO ACTION: |
What Can People Do if They Have a Family History of Cardiovascular Disease? |
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• Use the Family Tree Sheet to map out your family history of cardiovascular disease. |
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• Talk to your doctor about Lp(a) testing to get an accurate risk assessment and lower controllable risk factors until there is a therapy for high Lp(a). |
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• Support patient advocacy to find a therapy and advocate for more research for high Lp(a) at www.lipoproteinafoundation.org |
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WHO: |
The following cardiovascular event survivors and cardiovascular disease experts are available to discuss hereditary risks of cardiovascular disease associated with Lp(a): |
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• Sandra Revill Tremulis, Calif-based survivor and founder of Lipoprotein(a) Foundation |
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• Lp(a) Foundation Patient Advocates / Survivors in Cities around the Nation |
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• Sotirios (Sam) Tsimikas, MD, Director, Vascular Medicine, University of California San Diego; Deputy Editor of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and Associate Editor of JACC Cardiovascular Interventions |
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• Amit Khera, MD, MSc, Director of the Preventive Cardiology Section, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX |
| 1 Mortensen M, MD, PHD, Afzal S, MD, PHD et al. Primary Prevention with Statins. ACC/AHA Risk-Based Approach Versus Trial-Based Approaches to Guide Statin Therapy. Guide Statin Therapy. JACC. |
| 2 CARDIoGRAMplusC4D Consortium, Deloukas P et al. Large-scale association analysis identifies new risk loci for coronary artery disease. Nat Genet. 2013 Jan;45(1):25-33 |
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3 Thanassoulis G. et al. Genetic Associations with Valvular calcification and aortic stenosis. N Engl J Med. 2013 Feb 7;368(6):503-12. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1109034 |
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4 Nordestgaard F., Chapman J, et al. Lipoprotein(a) as a cardiovascular risk factor current status. European Heart J. 2010;31,2844-2853 |
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5 CDC reference: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6321a3.htm |
