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A judgement in The Lancet finds that 20% of the world’s population carries a genetic risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, strokes and aortic stenosis: elevated levels of a lipid particle called lipoprotein(a). It is the most common genetic cause of cardiovascular disease.
“Lipoprotein(a) is the direct cause of cardiovascular disease, just as cigarettes cause lung cancer. Yet most people who carry elevated levels of lipoprotein(a) are unaware of this. Now that new drugs are on the way that significantly reduce the amount of lipid particles, it is high time that we identify individuals who would benefit from them,” says first author Professor Børge Nordestgaard, Clinical Professor at the University of Copenhagen and Chief Physician at Copenhagen University Hospital – Herlev-Gentofte Hopital.
The technology used for lipoprotein(a) testing is readily available and easy to use, so while clinical trials are ongoing, it makes sense to expand testing globally.
“By expanding testing, we can find out who is a carrier and would benefit from lipoprotein(a)-lowering drugs. And until the medication becomes available, we can use this knowledge to better care for people with high levels of lipoprotein(a). The most important factors here are sufficient exercise, healthy eating, avoiding smoking and obesity, and treating high cholesterol,” says Nordestgaard.
There are currently five drugs in development that can reduce lipoprotein(a) levels by 65 to 98%, three of which are in phase III clinical trials. Some of the new drugs in development are so-called gene silencing therapy.
“The drug is injected and then absorbed by the liver cells, which inhibits the production of the lipoprotein(a) and significantly reduces the amount of lipid particles in the blood and presumably reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease,” says Nordestgaard.
The first results showing that a reduction in lipoprotein(a) will reduce cardiovascular disease are expected to be published in 2026.
More information:
Børge G Nordestgaard et al, Lipoprotein(a) and cardiovascular disease, The Lancet (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01308-4
Quote: More testing needed worldwide for heart disease indicator, experts say (2024, September 13), retrieved September 14, 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-heart-disease-indicator-worldwide-experts. html
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