Epidemiology
One in five hospitalised Polish patients has high Lp(a), and male sex predicts lower odds of it, cross-sectional study finds (Cardiol J 2026)
Original title: Lipoprotein(a) and clinical characteristics of Polish patients hospitalized in a tertiary referral hospital - an observational, cross-sectional study
This observational cross-sectional study consecutively included all patients with measured Lp(a) hospitalised in the internal medicine, endocrinology, diabetology and nephrology department of Czerniakowski Hospital in Poland between March and October 2024. Of 562 patients, 117 (20.8%) had high Lp(a) (30 mg/dL or above); the high- and low-Lp(a) groups did not differ in age, sex distribution or clinical examination findings overall, but multiple logistic regression identified male sex as independently associated with lower odds of high Lp(a) (OR 0.2857, 95% CI 0.1107-0.6468, P = 0.01). The authors argue this Polish prevalence estimate supports routine, at-least-once-in-a-lifetime Lp(a) measurement, though as a single tertiary-hospital sample it may not generalise to the general population.
Original abstract
Background: Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a highly atherogenic particle that significantly increases overall cardiovascular risk. Evidence regarding concentrations of Lp(a) in the Polish general population remains limited, as well as the association between Lp(a) and various clinical characteristics. The aim in this study was to analyze Lp(a) concentration in a Polish population hospitalized in a tertiary referral hospital, compare clinical characteristics between patients with low and high Lp(a) and find the predictors of increased Lp(a) concentrations.
Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional study. All patients hospitalized in the Clinical Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetology, and Nephrology in the Czerniakowski Hospital between 01.03.2024 and 08.10.2024 and with measured Lp(a) concentration were consecutively included. Patients were divided into two groups: those with high Lp(a) (≥ 30 mg/dL) and those with low Lp(a) ( < 30 mg/dL). The groups were compared in terms of multiple clinical characteristics. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine independent predictors of high Lp(a). The p-value below 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Out of 562 patients, 117 had high Lp(a) concentration (20.8%). The groups did not differ in terms of age, sex, or clinical examination findings. In a multiple logistic regression, male sex was associated with a decreased odds ratio of high Lp(a) (OR = 0.2857, 95% CI: 0.1107 to 0.6468, p = 0.01).
Conclusions: High Lp(a) is prevalent in the Polish population, and thus it is important to measure it routinely in each individual at least once in a lifetime and control all other known cardiovascular risk factors to decrease the overall risk.
Summary written by lp-a.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 17 August 2026. Methods.