Little-Known Fat Can Be a Heartbreaker

Elevated Lipoprotein (A) Levels Boost Cardiovascular Disease Risk For Some

"If you're worried about reducing your risk of heart disease, you probably already know that you should quit smoking, eat a healthful diet, exercise regularly, keep your blood pressure in check, and make sure your cholesterol levels aren't too high. But, do you know what your lipoprotein (a) levels are? Well, if you don't have a family history of early heart disease or have unexplained heart disease yourself, you probably don't need to know how much lipoprotein (a) is lurking in your blood. But, if any males in your family had a heart attack before age 55 or any of the women had heart disease before 65, you should have your lipoprotein levels checked. Ditto if you have heart disease, and you don't have any of the usual risk factors, such as obesity and high blood pressure. ‘Lipoprotein (a) tests give us interesting information, but it's still not a first line test for heart disease risk,’ explained Dr. Nieca Goldberg, director of the NYU Langone Medical Center's Women's Heart Program in New York City. Lipoprotein (a) is a molecule that circulates in the blood that's very similar to LDL -- the bad -- cholesterol, and is also similar to a blood-clotting protein. ‘It's the worst of both worlds,’ said Goldberg. ‘People who have high levels of lipoprotein (a) are more likely to develop heart disease. It's a risk factor,’ said Dr. Souheil Saba, a cardiologist at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan. ‘It [lipoprotein (a)] is a risk marker for heart disease, but you don't need to jump up and get it tested. Just get the baseline checkup. That's where we pick up obvious risk factors that cause heart disease, like a lack of exercise, smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol,’ she said. If levels of lipoprotein (a) are elevated, Saba said, there are treatments available.”

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