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Lipoprotein A

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  • Nearly half a million women in the US die from cardiovascular disease every year, making early identification of those at risk crucial. Traditional identification methods, which focus on age, blood pressure, smoking status, cholesterol levels, and family history, address short-term risks, but longer-term predictions may improve outcomes. A recent study found that measuring specific blood markers can predict cardiovascular events over a 30-year period in women.

    The study involved nearly 28,000 healthy US women. Researchers measured three key biomarkers: high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)]. Then, they tracked the women’s health for 30 years to observe their first major cardiovascular event, including heart attack, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes.

    They found that women with the highest levels of hs-CRP were 70% more likely to experience a cardiovascular event than those with the lowest levels. Similarly, those with the highest LDL and Lp(a) levels were 36% and 33% more likely, respectively, to have a heart attack or stroke. Each biomarker contributed independently to overall cardiovascular risk, with the strongest predictive power coming from a combination of all three markers.

    These findings suggest that long-term cardiovascular risk prediction in women can be improved by measuring these biomarkers early in life. This proactive approach could lead to earlier interventions, potentially reducing heart disease risk over several decades.

  • Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a type of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). High Lp(a) levels increase a person’s risk for atherosclerosis, heart disease, and stroke. A recent study found that alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA) both reduce Lp(a) concentrations in healthy men, but ALA is more effective at lowering cholesterol.

    The study involved 130 men enrolled in an ongoing cohort study in Finland. Researchers provided the participants with diets enriched in either ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid, or LA, an omega-6 fatty acid, for eight weeks.

    They found that serum Lp(a) concentrations dropped 7.3% among those who ate the ALA-rich diet and 9.5% among those who ate the LA-rich diet. Reductions were greater among those with higher baseline Lp(a) concentrations. However, those who ate the ALA diet experienced greater reductions in LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and other cholesterol components. Whether the participants carried the FADS1 rs174550 genotype did not influence their response to the diets.

    The FADS1 rs174550 is a genetic variant that influences the body’s ability to convert certain fatty acids. This variant can affect how efficiently omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are metabolized, potentially influencing lipid levels and overall health.

    These findings suggest that ALA and LA exert similar Lp(a)-lowering effects, but ALA may be more effective at lowering cholesterol and other atherogenic factors. Learn more about Lp(a) in this Q&A featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.

  • From the article:

    In the trial, participants who received higher doses of SLN360 – a small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutic that “silences” the gene responsible for lipoprotein(a) production – saw their lipoprotein(a) levels drop by as much as 96%-98%. Five months later, these participants' lipoprotein(a) – also known as Lp(a) – levels remained 71%-81% lower than baseline.

    […]

    Participants receiving 300 mg and 600 mg of SLN360 had a maximum of 96% and 98% reduction in Lp(a) levels, and a reduction of 71% and 81% at five months compared to baseline. Those receiving a placebo saw no change in Lp(a) levels. The highest doses also reduced LDL cholesterol by about 20%-25%.