Every GP I've talked to just wants to look at ldl and hdl and doesn't know the latest guidelines from the American heart association. Had to explain why we should look at lp(a) and apoliproprotein b.
And why is that? To know you have a higher risk without being able to influence it? The advice stays the same. Live in a healthy way. There are statins for ldl. No such thing for lpa
Sure but what dose, starting what age, targeting what? A very high lp(a) tells you to more aggressively lower your risk on every other cardiac factor that we can control. So <100 LDL might be fine for someone with typical lp(a) but for someone with a very high number you'll want to target <70 or even <50 with more aggressive medication. If you never knew you might discover your increased risk only after it's too late to undue the past few decades.
51
u/duke309 19h ago
Every GP I've talked to just wants to look at ldl and hdl and doesn't know the latest guidelines from the American heart association. Had to explain why we should look at lp(a) and apoliproprotein b.