CVI's PLAC Beyond the Basics Dinner Program

The traditional lipid profile has served as a mainstay of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk assessment for decades. This tool became even more important as targeted therapies, such as statins and more recently ezetimibe and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, became available. Even with these advances in lipid management, and more broadly in targeting traditional cardiovascular risk factors, ongoing risk in many patients points to a need to investigate other contributors as possible therapeutic targets. Lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) is a promising biomarker to help refine current strategies of ASCVD risk assessment, and it is estimated to be elevated in approximately 20% of the world’s population. Research on Lp(a) suggests it has added value in preventive medicine, and it is time for cardiologists and cardiovascular team members to consider using it routinely in their practice. Based on mounting evidence,  a guideline on the clinical use of Lp(a) from the National Lipid Association was recently published.