@jp1234
Hi, I started this post a while ago and was feeling exactly like you. I am in my late 60's and do all the right things for my health. My Lpa is 380. I only tested because my brother who also has no apparent heart risks other than high cholesterol found though unrelated tests that he had major blockages in all his arteries and now has stents. His Lpa was 430 and they told him to have family members tested. I went to a cardiologist who said the best thing is to get the LDL down below 50 and follow heart-healthy lifestyle. I was constantly worrying that I could have a stroke or heart attack even though I had no symptoms. The important thing is to be aware of any strange symptoms and follow up asap. If there are symptoms they can intervene and do something . Here's the interesting thing--my doctor ordered a stress test just to rule out issues and I thought I did a great job. She called me that night and said I failed it and it looked like the left ventricle was not working correctly and immediately ordered a catheterization (this is the only true test to show any blockages inside the arteries). I had the catheterization and was expecting to wake up with stents but instead they said all my arteries were clear and the stress test was a false positive which can sometimes happen. Bottom line is high Lpa is a risk factor and not a guarantee of having CAD. Meanwhile my LDL is down to 47 using 40 mg of Crestor which is more potent than Lipitor. I still do all the heart healthy things and pay attention to my body. I am also waiting for the new drugs to treat Lpa. The good news is by knowing you have high Lpa you can mitigate otherer risks by doing all the heart-healthy things within your control and watching your LDL. It is the people who do not know they have high Lpa and do not take care of other risk factors that are at more risk in my opinion. Treat this as a blessing since it is a wake-up call to live as healthy as you can and remember high Lpa is one risk factor of several. Hope this helps. Hang in there and keep looking for help and answers for your particular circumstances.