This type of Sticky Cholesterol can Increase your risk of heart Attack

New research has shown a specific type of LDL cholesterol that could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke in people who already have high blood pressure (hypertension).

High levels of lipoprotein(a), (the "sticky" cholesterol) are particularly concerning for those with high blood pressure

A recent study investigated the effect of lipoprotein (a) cholesterol levels and hypertension on cardiovascular risk. Researchers found that higher lipoprotein (a) levels increase cardiovascular risk in patients with hypertension.

“We found that among people with hypertension who have never experienced a stroke or heart attack before, lipoprotein(a) seems to increase the risk of a CVD event or stroke,” said lead study author Dr Rishi Rikhi, a cardiovascular medicine fellow at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Lipoprotein(a) is an LDL variant made of protein and fat which carries cholesterol to your arteries. It is the protein that makes these particles invade artery walls more aggressively than regular LDL