To hear Lp(a) doesn't matter is kind of heartbreaking, I think. It's invisible until your first heart attack, and it's invisible till your first stroke. So, I think that if we're recognizing it in testing patients, then I think it's going to give them power to really have a better understanding of themselves. Hello, my name is Dr. Stephanie Saucier, and today I'm going to be talking about why Lp(a) is so vitally important to your patients, to your practice, and may be the missing puzzle piece to patient care. I think that when we're talking about patients who already have premature cardiovascular disease, the fact that one in three of those patients may have high Lp(a) is very profound. This patient that I have, he was vegan and exercised every day. And yet his family members, the men in his family specifically, most of them had heart attacks in their 40s. And he was like, you know, I'm doing all of the right things until one day in his mid-40s, he had his heart attack. And he, in addition to having his heart attack, was diagnosed with having a significantly elevated Lp(a), and it changed his life forever. It changed his life forever because he wasn't managing his mildly elevated LDL cholesterol, but after his heart attack and with the knowledge that he has high Lp(a), his life changed. His family members were tested. He is just taking this knowledge to really empower himself and help him prevent a future event. And so all of his changes that he's made in his life because of the knowledge of his high Lp(a) and also his premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and his family history, it changed the story for him. A lot of patients are really motivated to make sure that they live long for the people that they love, whether it be their kids or, you know, their loved ones. We know that across the country, it is not being tested as often as it should be. The National Lipid Association put out recommendations in 2024 that every person over the age of 18 be tested for Lp(a) at least once in their lifetime. I've come into contact with peers who have had the perception of, “We don't have a treatment currently to treat Lp(a), so why am I going to test for it?” And what I always tell them is: because you can modify their risk, right? You can be more aggressive. You have the opportunity with the knowledge that this is another risk factor that these patients have. You have an opportunity to change their risk, and to modify it, and to give them better care. Maybe if we're testing more patients, then maybe we could potentially move the needle on heart disease. I really think that Lp(a) testing is one of the missing puzzle pieces in terms of cardiovascular risk assessment. That is, when we finally start testing patients more than we already are, it's going to make the picture finally come into view.

At that moment, I could never have imagined that someday it might all be turned upside down by a heart attack. Because I never knew I had elevated Lp(a). It's a genetically determined condition, and regardless of diet or lifestyle, it can independently increase risk for premature cardiovascular events younger than anyone might expect. Now that I know, I'm working with my doctor to improve my—and my family's—heart health. Elevated Lp(a) can be uncovered with a routine blood test. Test your patients with premature CVD for elevated Lp(a) to help inform next steps for them—and their family members. Learn more at UncoverLpa.com.

I had a heart attack 2 months ago, right here on this park bench. What I didn't know then is that my increased risk for a premature heart attack started when I was much younger. After my heart attack, my doctor ordered a routine blood test and uncovered that I have elevated Lp(a)—a genetically determined condition that can increase my lifelong risk for premature cardiovascular events. Now that I know another heart attack isn't inevitable, I'm working with my doctor to reduce my overall cardiovascular risk—and get my family tested too. Test your premature ASCVD patients for elevated Lp(a) to help inform next steps for them—and for their family members. Learn more at UncoverLpa.com