A study of more than 6,000 US men and women revealed that having elevated levels of lipoprotein A (LPA)a type of “bad” cholesterol, in addition to high blood pressure, increased the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and suffering a serious cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack. myocardium or a stroke.
High levels of LPA, a type of “bad” cholesterol, may be associated with an 18-20% increased risk of cardiovascular disease among people who have hypertension, however, the risk of cardiovascular disease was not increased among those without hypertension. , according to new research published in “Hypertension.”
High blood pressure is a known cardiovascular risk factor, and lipoprotein(a) is a type of hereditary “bad” cholesterol that can also cause cardiovascular disease, explains the study’s lead author, Rishi Rikhi, of Atrium Health Wake Forest Medical Center. Baptist of Winston-Salem (USA).
‘We found that among people with high blood pressure who had never had a stroke or heart attack, the LPA seems to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and the risk of suffering a serious cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke.
Hypertension is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Lipoproteins, made up of protein and fat, carry cholesterol through the blood. Lipoprotein subtypes include low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and LPA. Like LDL cholesterol, lipoprotein(a) cholesterol can deposit and accumulate on the walls of blood vessels, thereby increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke.
To assess the possible correlation between hypertension and lipoprotein(a) in the development of cardiovascular disease, the researchers first classified the participants into 4 groups based on their LPA levels and blood pressure measurements obtained once at baseline: Group 1 (2,837 people), with LPA levels less than 50 mg/dL and without hypertension; 2 (615 people), LPA levels greater than or equal to 50 mg/dL and without hypertension; 3 (2,502 people), with LPA levels less than 50 mg/dL and hypertension, and group 4 (720 people), with lipoprotein(a) levels ≥ 50mg/dL and hypertension.
Participants were followed for a median of 14 years and monitored for cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, stroke, or death from coronary disease.
Most of the cardiovascular risk in this diverse population appears to be due to hypertension
The results of the study showed that 809 participants suffered from cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, LPA levels had an effect on hypertensive status that was statistically significant.
Compared with group 1, group 2 did not present an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Less than 10% of the participants in Group 1 (7.7%) and Group 2 (8%) had cardiovascular disease events.
Participants in groups 3 and 4, all of whom were hypertensive, showed a statistically significant increased risk of cardiovascular disease compared with those in group 1.
Approximately 16.2% of people in group 3 had cardiovascular disease episodes, and 18.8% of group 4 participants had cardiovascular disease episodes.
“We found that the majority of cardiovascular risk in this diverse population appears to be due to hypertension,” says Rikhi. “In addition, individuals with hypertension had an even higher cardiovascular risk when LPA was elevated. The fact that lipoprotein appears to modify the relationship between hypertension and cardiovascular disease is interesting, and suggests important interactions or relationships for hypertension, APL, and cardiovascular disease, so further research is needed.”