1. < Heart & Blood Health

High ldl-p

Posted by Amy @amysep67, 4 days ago

My ldl, HDL, triglycerides, apo b, Lp(a), hs crp, are all good, but my ldl-p is 1900. It was 600 4 years ago, 5 months after a cerebeller stroke (and finding I also had a silent heart attack at some point in life). I have a mostly plant based diet and exercise daily - seemingly pretty healthy.
I have not had a history of high cholesterol either and Mayo said it my event was a bit of a mystery. The high ldl- p and elevated small and medium particles with low apo b and lp(a) seems contradictory in everything I’ve found. Very worried and confused.

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jc76 | @jc76 | 4 days ago

@amysep67
I am familiar with LDL, HDL and triglycerides but not apo b, Lp (a). Can you explain what that is? I don't remember seeing anything on my Mayo lab test that have that.

I take a statin for Cholestrol, fish oil for tryglicerides per my heart failure doctor. My cholestrol and trygleridies are excellent after started taking the medication and supplement.

The statin has my LDL very low and my tryglerides were cut in half by the fish oil. My HDL is around 60.

REPLY
2 replies
agb | @agb | 4 days ago
In reply to @jc76 "@amysep67 I am familiar with LDL, HDL and triglycerides but not apo b, Lp (a). Can..." + (show)
@jc76

@amysep67
I am familiar with LDL, HDL and triglycerides but not apo b, Lp (a). Can you explain what that is? I don't remember seeing anything on my Mayo lab test that have that.

I take a statin for Cholestrol, fish oil for tryglicerides per my heart failure doctor. My cholestrol and trygleridies are excellent after started taking the medication and supplement.

The statin has my LDL very low and my tryglerides were cut in half by the fish oil. My HDL is around 60.

Jump to this post

Here's my understanding: the LDL number is really just a calculation from the total cholesterol and HDL. LDL is made up of a number of different particles of which apo b and Lp(a) are ones often tested. Every molecule of apo b carries 1 molecule of cholesterol which can be deposited where it doesn't belong (arteries, etc), so for people with risk factors, such as my family history, getting the apo b number down was key. Lp(a) is hereditary (well, most of this is), and another risk factor.

Being on a statin got my LDL number to around 100, but with my family history and CAC score, it was determined it needed to be far lower. Added the Repatha injections to the mix and now my LDL is at 17 and my apo b in the normal range.

REPLY
1 reply
Amy | @amysep67 | 4 days ago
In reply to @jc76 "@amysep67 I am familiar with LDL, HDL and triglycerides but not apo b, Lp (a). Can..." + (show)
@jc76

@amysep67
I am familiar with LDL, HDL and triglycerides but not apo b, Lp (a). Can you explain what that is? I don't remember seeing anything on my Mayo lab test that have that.

I take a statin for Cholestrol, fish oil for tryglicerides per my heart failure doctor. My cholestrol and trygleridies are excellent after started taking the medication and supplement.

The statin has my LDL very low and my tryglerides were cut in half by the fish oil. My HDL is around 60.

Jump to this post

Mayo didn’t actually test those markers. I had asked my pcp to do my particle numbers, and then I joint Function Health, which is a lot of tests that get more into newer research, functional medicine (finding reason why)…
Copied and pasted..
ApoB is a protein, Lp(a) is a lipoprotein:
ApoB is a protein that carries fats, while Lp(a) is a specific lipoprotein particle containing apoB and apo(a). o
Lp(a) is a subset of ApoB-containing particles:
Lp(a) is one type of apoB-containing particle, but it is not the only one. o
Lp(a) is an independent risk factor:
Lp(a) levels are a separate predictor of cardiovascular risk, independent of total LDL cholesterol or apoB levels. • Genetic Influence:
Lp(a) levels are largely determined by genetics, while ApoB levels are influenced by lifestyle and other factors.
Importance of both measures:
Measuring both ApoB and Lp(a) can provide a more comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular risk than measuring LDL
cholesterol alone. "
In summary: ApoB is a marker for the number of atherogenic lipoproteins, while Lp(a) is a specific lipoprotein particle that is a distinct risk factor for heart disease. Both measures are important for assessing cardiovascular risk.

REPLY
1 reply
jc76 | @jc76 | 4 days ago
In reply to @amysep67 "Mayo didn’t actually test those markers. I had asked my pcp to do my particle numbers,..." + (show)
@amysep67

Mayo didn’t actually test those markers. I had asked my pcp to do my particle numbers, and then I joint Function Health, which is a lot of tests that get more into newer research, functional medicine (finding reason why)…
Copied and pasted..
ApoB is a protein, Lp(a) is a lipoprotein:
ApoB is a protein that carries fats, while Lp(a) is a specific lipoprotein particle containing apoB and apo(a). o
Lp(a) is a subset of ApoB-containing particles:
Lp(a) is one type of apoB-containing particle, but it is not the only one. o
Lp(a) is an independent risk factor:
Lp(a) levels are a separate predictor of cardiovascular risk, independent of total LDL cholesterol or apoB levels. • Genetic Influence:
Lp(a) levels are largely determined by genetics, while ApoB levels are influenced by lifestyle and other factors.
Importance of both measures:
Measuring both ApoB and Lp(a) can provide a more comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular risk than measuring LDL
cholesterol alone. "
In summary: ApoB is a marker for the number of atherogenic lipoproteins, while Lp(a) is a specific lipoprotein particle that is a distinct risk factor for heart disease. Both measures are important for assessing cardiovascular risk.

Jump to this post

@gottagetbetter @amysep67
Wow never even knew this much about breakdown of LDL and HDL. I learn more each day even at the old age of 78.

Now if I can live another 78 years I might get to know enough about these things.

REPLY
1 reply
Amy | @amysep67 | 4 days ago
In reply to @jc76 "@gottagetbetter @amysep67 Wow never even knew this much about breakdown of LDL and HDL. I learn..." + (show)
@jc76

@gottagetbetter @amysep67
Wow never even knew this much about breakdown of LDL and HDL. I learn more each day even at the old age of 78.

Now if I can live another 78 years I might get to know enough about these things.

Jump to this post

Sounds like you’re doing awesome! I hope to live to be 78 and beyond 🙏🏼

REPLY
Amy | @amysep67 | 4 days ago
In reply to @agb "Here's my understanding: the LDL number is really just a calculation from the total cholesterol and..." + (show)
@agb

Here's my understanding: the LDL number is really just a calculation from the total cholesterol and HDL. LDL is made up of a number of different particles of which apo b and Lp(a) are ones often tested. Every molecule of apo b carries 1 molecule of cholesterol which can be deposited where it doesn't belong (arteries, etc), so for people with risk factors, such as my family history, getting the apo b number down was key. Lp(a) is hereditary (well, most of this is), and another risk factor.

Being on a statin got my LDL number to around 100, but with my family history and CAC score, it was determined it needed to be far lower. Added the Repatha injections to the mix and now my LDL is at 17 and my apo b in the normal range.

Jump to this post

How long have you been on Repatha? Do you have any side effects?

REPLY
1 reply
agb | @agb | 3 days ago
In reply to @amysep67 "How long have you been on Repatha? Do you have any side effects?" + (show)
@amysep67

How long have you been on Repatha? Do you have any side effects?

Jump to this post

I’ve been talking Repatha for about 18 months now. When I started, I had a slight runny nose for about 3 weeks, but I wasn’t sure if that was from the drug or just life. Never bad enough for me to be concerned, and it’s been gone since. Others on this forum have not been as lucky with side effects

REPLY
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