Plasma Proteins Science Day - Clinical utility of Lp(a) in cardiovascular disease risk assessment

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is one of the most attractive targets for intervention in cardiovascular disease. Since specific Lp(a)-lowering therapies are under clinical investigation, the interest in measuring Lp(a) has markedly increased. However, its special structure—a highly polymorphic protein—creates difficulties for accurate measurement. This lecture discusses the clinical utility of Lp(a) in cardiovascular disease risk assessment and the question of whether Lp(a) should be measured in mass units (mg/dL) or molar units (nmol/L), which causes major confusion in clinical practice.