High concordance in high Lp(a) levels among first- and second-degree relatives, finds study

USA: Findings from a cross-sectional study suggested over 40% yield of cascade screening of first-degree relatives of people with high lipoprotein(a) levels. The findings imply that if implemented at scale, cascade screening of first-degree relatives of individuals with high lipoprotein(a) levels is likely to identify a substantial number of additional high-risk individuals.
The study, published in JAMA Cardiology, supports a recent recommendation for using this approach to identify individuals at risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) based on Lp(a) concentrations.
In the cross-sectional analysis, 47.0% of first-degree relatives of UK Biobank participants with a lipoprotein(a) concentration of at least 125 nmol/L were similarly affected, compared with 16.4% unrelated individuals.
Lp(a) concentrations are a highly heritable and potential causal risk factor for ASCVD. Recent consensus statements by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the European Atherosclerosis Society recommend screening of relatives of individuals with high Lp(a) concentrations, but in large populations, the expected yield of this approach has not been quantified. To determine the same, Laurens F. Reeskamp, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and colleagues aimed to measure the prevalence of high Lp(a) concentrations among first- and second-degree relatives of people with high Lp(a) concentrations compared with unrelated participants.
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