Testing
At Mayo Clinic, only 0.15% of 257,225 patients with a lipid panel had Lp(a) tested within a year, and results rarely changed treatment (Am J Prev Cardiol 2024)
Original title: Lipoprotein (a) testing patterns among subjects with a measured lipid panel: The Mayo Clinic experience
This retrospective study used the Mayo Data Explorer to examine Lp(a) testing patterns among patients who had a standard lipid panel ordered at Mayo Clinic between May 2022 and April 2023. Of 257,225 subjects with a lipid panel, only 386 (0.15%) had Lp(a) tested within one year of that panel, and only 2,406 (0.94%) had ever had Lp(a) tested at any point. Lp(a) testing was more frequent in males (67%) and in those who had ever had a myocardial infarction (12% of those tested). Following an Lp(a) result, there was no significant associated change in statin or aspirin prescribing, and secondary prevention remained the dominant setting for ordering Lp(a) throughout the study period, a pattern unchanged over time. The findings show Lp(a) testing rates remain very low even among patients already undergoing lipid screening, women are tested less than men, and elevated results frequently do not translate into a change in management.
Original abstract
Objective: Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] has been associated with Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD). Approximately 20 % of the population has elevated Lp(a). Despite its well-recognized role in ASCVD, universal screening remains controversial. The aim of our study is to investigate laboratory testing patterns for Lp(a) in subjects screened with a standard lipid panel at a large tertiary referring US institution.
Methods: Data were retrospectively collected at Mayo Clinic from the Mayo Data Explorer (MDE). Subjects were included if they had a lipid panel measured between May 1, 2022, and April 30, 2023. Demographic data, Lp(a) measurements, statins and aspirin prescription and ASCVD events which occurred at any time in the life of a subject were recorded along with respective dates. The cumulative number of Lp(a) laboratory test orders were also tallied from 1994 to 2023 independently of the lipid panel requests.
Results: Between May 1, 2022, and April 30, 2023, 257,225 subjects had a lipid panel ordered. Of these, only 386 (0.15 %) had Lp(a) tested within 1 year of the lipid panel, while 2406 (0.94 %) had Lp(a) tested at any time. Lp(a) was tested more frequently in males (67 %) and in subjects who developed Myocardial Infarction (MI) at any time (12 %). Following Lp(a) results, there was no significant change in statin or aspirin prescription associated with Lp(a) levels. Secondary prevention was the main setting for ordering Lp(a) testing, and there was no change in this trend throughout the years.
Conclusions: Testing rates for Lp(a) in the general population are low and the main setting remains secondary prevention. Women are less tested than men. When Lp(a) is found to be elevated, often times there is no change in patient management to mitigate the ASCVD risk.
Summary written by lp-a.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 18 August 2026. Methods.