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Can This Blood Test Detect Heart Disease?

October 01, 2024

Imagine if a blood test could alert you to heart disease and other cardiac problems 30 years before any other test.

That may be the case with a simple blood test that predicts coronary artery disease and stroke in younger patients by measuring levels of Lipoprotein(a), says Stephanie Saucier, MD, director of the Women’s Heart Wellness Program at Hartford HealthCare’s Heart & Vascular Institute and medical director of its cardiac rehabilitation program in Hartford.

We asked Dr. Saucier what you need to know about your levels of Lipoprotein(a) and your risk of heart disease.

What is Lp(a)?

Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a) for short, carries cholesterol in the blood.

Unlike more well-known lipoproteins like LDL and HDL, which are influenced by diet and lifestyle, Lp(a) is mostly determined by genetics.

When your Lp(a) levels are high, you’re at higher risk of plaque build-up in your arteries, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. It also increases your risk of aortic stenosis at a younger age.

“Lp(a) is an inherited form of high cholesterol and, in the preventive cardiology practice here, we test everyone for it,” says Dr. Saucier. “The issue is that there is a lack of awareness and a lack of widespread testing.”

> Related: What You Need to Know About HDL and LDL Cholesterol Levels

Who should check their Lp(a) levels?

Around one in every five people have elevated Lp(a) levels, but many may not know because routine cholesterol tests don’t measure Lp(a).

“It’s important that if someone has high Lp(a), their first-degree relatives also test their levels as this is a predominantly genetic condition,” says Dr. Saucier.

People with a family history of early heart disease should also consider testing. Sometimes, pregnant women can also experience Lp(a) elevation that drops back closer to their baseline levels after their baby is born. Women can have a slight increase in Lp(a) after menopause.

“Patients with elevated Lp(a) levels should be treated more aggressively with cholesterol lowering tactics,” she says.

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Early detection equals early treatment.

Early diagnosis of a potential problem is always a better position to be in, Dr. Saucier says. In this case, learning of high Lp(a) levels alert patients to their cardiac risk factors so they can try to modify them.

“Patients then can work with their primary care physician or cardiologist on more aggressive risk factor modification and lipid-lowering therapy to stay healthy,” she says.