Does a blood-cleaning treatment help heart patients with high Lp(a)?
Long-term lipoprotein apheresis reduces cardiovascular events in high-risk patients with isolated lipoprotein(a) elevation.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
LDL-C dropped by 58.9% even though patients started with LDL-C < 2.59 mmol/L—already considered low.
Most doctors assume LDL-C can’t—or shouldn’t—be lowered further once it’s below target. This suggests LA has a broader lipid-lowering effect than previously thought.
Practical Takeaways
If you have very high Lp(a) (>60 mg/dL) and still experience heart issues despite statins, ask your doctor about lipoprotein apheresis as a possible option.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
LDL-C dropped by 58.9% even though patients started with LDL-C < 2.59 mmol/L—already considered low.
Most doctors assume LDL-C can’t—or shouldn’t—be lowered further once it’s below target. This suggests LA has a broader lipid-lowering effect than previously thought.
Practical Takeaways
If you have very high Lp(a) (>60 mg/dL) and still experience heart issues despite statins, ask your doctor about lipoprotein apheresis as a possible option.
Publication
Journal
Journal of clinical lipidology
Year
2024
Authors
F. Schumann, U. Kassner, D. Spira, Felix F. Zimmermann, T. Bobbert, Elisabeth Steinhagen‐Thiessen, Tim Hollstein
Related Content
Claims (5)
For people at high risk of heart problems who have a specific bad cholesterol (Lp(a)) but normal LDL, a special blood-cleaning treatment called lipoprotein apheresis cuts their chances of having a heart attack or stroke by more than 70% each year.
For people who have high levels of a risky blood fat called lipoprotein(a) but normal cholesterol, a special blood-cleaning treatment called lipoprotein apheresis can help prevent heart attacks and strokes for many years.
For people at high risk of heart problems who have a specific bad cholesterol (Lp(a)) that’s high but regular cholesterol is normal, a special blood-cleaning treatment called lipoprotein apheresis cuts their heart attacks and strokes by more than two-thirds each year.
A special blood-filtering treatment called lipoprotein apheresis can cut down a harmful type of cholesterol called Lp(a) by about two-thirds in people who have high levels of it but normal LDL cholesterol, and this effect lasts for years.
A special blood-filtering treatment called lipoprotein apheresis can lower 'bad' cholesterol by almost 60% in people who have high levels of a risky protein called Lp(a) but otherwise normal cholesterol—after using it for about 7 years on average.