Lp(a) does not predict carotid plaque in statin-treated familial hypercholesterolaemia, a Dutch study of 191 patients (Atherosclerosis 2015)

Original title: Lipoprotein (a) levels are not associated with carotid plaques and carotid intima media thickness in statin-treated patients with familial hypercholesterolemia

Atherosclerosis · 14 July 2015 · 6

Bos S, Duvekot MH, Touw-Blommesteijn AC, Verhoeven AJ, Mulder MT, Watts GF, Sijbrands EJ, Roeters van Lennep JE

Researchers led by Bos, Sijbrands and Roeters van Lennep performed carotid ultrasonography in 191 statin-treated familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) patients (50% men, mean age 48 years) to test whether Lp(a) predicts carotid atherosclerosis, since statins do not lower Lp(a) and this may partly explain residual cardiovascular risk in FH. Patients with high versus low Lp(a) (cutoff 0.3 g/L) had similar carotid plaque prevalence (36% vs 31%, P=0.4) and carotid intima-media thickness (0.59 mm both groups, P=0.8), and patients with versus without plaques had similar Lp(a) levels (median 0.35 vs 0.24 g/L, P=0.4). The findings show Lp(a) is not associated with carotid atherosclerosis in statin-treated FH patients, suggesting adequate statin treatment may delay carotid atherosclerosis in FH independent of Lp(a) levels.

Original abstract

Background: Lipoprotein (a), also called Lp(a), is a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor. Statins do not lower Lp(a), this may at least partly explain residual CVD risk in statin-treated patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). We investigated the association of Lp(a) levels with atherosclerosis in these patients.

Methods And Results: We performed ultrasonography in 191 statin-treated FH patients (50% men; 48 ± 15 years) to detect carotid plaques and determine carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT). Patients with high versus low Lp(a) levels (≤0.3 g/L) had similar plaque prevalence (36 and 31%, p = 0.4) and C-IMT (0.59 ± 0.12 and 0.59 ± 0.13 mm, p = 0.8). Patients with and without plaques had similar Lp(a) levels (median 0.35 (IQR: 0.57) and 0.24 (0.64) g/L, respectively, p = 0.4).

Conclusions: The Lp(a) levels were not associated with atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries of statin-treated FH patients. This suggests that adequate statin treatment delays carotid atherosclerosis in FH independently of Lp(a) levels.

Summary written by lp-a.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 18 August 2026. Methods.