Testing
Lp(a) testing rose steadily but remained rare at the University of Rochester Medical Center, identifying only 2,698 patients ever tested (J Clin Lipidol 2023)
Original title: Frequency of lipoprotein(a) measurements in patients with or at risk of cardiovascular disease
Using electronic health records from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC, January 2011 to August 2022), the authors identified 2,698 patients aged 18 or older with at least one Lp(a) measurement. Testing increased steadily year over year, was more common in women than men, and about 11% of tested patients had more than one Lp(a) measurement, with the majority below 30 mg/dL (the local normal-range cutoff). Most tested patients did not carry a listed diagnosis of cerebral infarction, peripheral vascular disease, myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, or aortic stenosis. The findings document a steady but still modest rise in Lp(a) testing at a single US academic medical centre, complementing broader network-level data showing low overall testing rates.
Original abstract
Knowledge of lipoprotein(a) measurement in community practice is limited. The objective of this study is to evaluate the frequency of Lp(a) screening across the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC). Descriptive data were collected for all URMC patients >= 18 years old who have had at least one Lp(a) measurement from January 2011 to August 2022 from the URMC electronic health record (EHR). Cardiovascular diagnoses were queried to define yearly frequency and demographic information. We identified 2,698 patients with at least one Lp(a) result. An increasing number of patients were tested per year. There were more women than men, and about 11% having more than one Lp(a) measured with the majority having a level <30 mg/dL (the normal-range in the UMRC lab). The majority do not have a listed diagnosis of cerebral infarction, peripheral vascular disease, myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, or aortic stenosis. Across URMC, there has been a steady increase of Lp(a) measurements in the past several years.
Summary written by lp-a.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 18 August 2026. Methods.