Strong Evidence Linking Lp(a) to Coronary Artery Disease

A genetic association study bolsters the case for a causal mechanism.

An elevated Lp(a) lipoprotein level is a well-known, highly heritable risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), but the genetic determinants of Lp(a) and their impact on CAD risk are unknown. In this genetic association study, investigators assessed 2100 candidate genes in 3145 case patients with CAD and 3352 controls.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) mapped to three chromosomal regions (6q26–27, 9p21, and 1p13) were strongly associated with CAD risk. The strongest association was with the LPA locus on 6q26–27, which encodes the apolipoprotein(a) component of the Lp(a) lipoprotein. A common variant (rs10455872) at the LPA locus was associated with an odds ratio for CAD of 1.70 (95% confidence interval, 1.49–1.95), and another vari…

Reviewing Author

JoAnne M. Foody, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardAegerion; Amarin; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Janssen; Merck; Pfizer; Sanofi-Aventis; Boehringer Ingelheim

Leadership positions in professional societiesAmerican College of Cardiology, Cardiosmart (Co-chair)

JoAnne M. Foody, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardAegerion; Amarin; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Janssen; Merck; Pfizer; Sanofi-Aventis; Boehringer Ingelheim

Leadership positions in professional societiesAmerican College of Cardiology, Cardiosmart (Co-chair)

Strong Evidence Linking Lp(a) to Coronary Artery Disease

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Reviewing Author