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Anyone else out there with extremely high lipoprotein (a)?
Hi! I just found out that I have an extremely high lipoprotein (a) of 515 nmol/L. I'm terrified; it's that high. I'm 58 years old and my total cholesterol is 212. My LDL is 141, and my HDL is just 40. My cholesterol/HDL ratio is 5.3. Of course it's a long weekend and I may not be able to reach my doctor tomorrow. I have watched a couple of informational sessions online from various doctors discussing elevated LP(a), but no one mentions anything close to how high mine is. Is there anyone else out there with severely elevated Lp(a)? Thanking you in advance. Sue M.
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My Lp(a) is 220 nmol/L since the first time I had it measured in 2007. That’s high risk and is in the 95th percentile of the measured Lp(a) population. It causes me no issues.
I control what I can control. I keep my LDL < /= 70 mg/dL, triglycerides below 50, A1c between 4.8 and 5.2%, BMI at 25, blood pressure < 120/80. My last total coronary artery calcium score was only 135 which is within the 50th percentile of people matched for age, gender, and race/ethnicity. That’s decent for a 70 year old male with high Lp(a).
I was able to reduce my Lp(a) from 220 nmol/L to 44 nmol/L (80% reduction despite dogma that states only a 20-30% reduction can be expected) using 2,000 mg/day of extended release nicotinic acid. While it worked, it caused me an absolute myriad of health issues that fortunately were reversible after stopping Endur-Acin.
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1 ReactionEvery drug has side effects, Repatha is no different. Thankfully, I'm not feeling any.
And yes, we might find out some years from now that while it can lower LDL, there are other effects that are not good. See the Niaspan (niacin) studies, for which I was a part and took it daily for 10+ years. Each has to make a decision what risks they want to take.
What level trial? It would be nice to jump in when there is no placebo. Does that ever happen in trials at the end? Final stage?
Be sure to read about the side effects of Repatha.
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1 ReactionStanford has one coming up soon.
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2 ReactionsA low dose statin to lower your LDL, exercise for overall health benefits,
a healthy diet for overall health benefits: All of the above is
important according to Stanford Cardiology, Peter Attia, Dr. Steven Nissen.
None will lower your AP(a) because genetic but can help with other
risk factors for heart disease.
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1 Reactionheavily plant based with some fish (tuna and salmon mostly) and perhaps 1 meal a week might have grilled chicken
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1 ReactionBio on the Graedons ... https://www.wunc.org/people/joe-terry-graedon
I've heard the show on NPR, but this article sounds as if it is written by a medical professional - it does not appear Joe Graedon, the author, fits this profile. He is a pharmacist or least trained as, and she is an anthropologist.
@saganjames, it looks as if the People's Pharmacy is centered around the sharing of experiences to help others make more informed decisions, much like Mayo Clinic Connect. When looking at the article you shared, it is a bit confusing in how it is presented as it does feel as though it is a Q&A with a medical professional which I do not believe the People's Pharmacy has as part of its broadcast and writing crew.
@saganjames, if you don't mind sharing, which part of the article did you find most interesting or helpful?
Please read:
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/is-lpa-contributing-to-unexplained-heart-attacks
Regards, Sagan