Tag Archives: atherosclerosis risk assessment

Introduction Lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) was discovered in 1963 as an antigen causing rare blood transfusion reactions.1 The antigen was found to be present in the lipoprotein fraction of plasma, hence the name lipoprotein(antigen). As methods for its measurement improved, researchers realised that Lp(a) had a continuous population frequency distribution, which in people of European descent, was markedly positively skewed.2,3 It was also reported that in those with higher concentrations, the prevalence of coronary heart disease was increased. Furthermore, higher levels were inherited; the concentration of Lp(a) was twice as much in men who had ex