(Press-News.org) DALLAS, March 24, 2023 — High levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] are an independent, predominantly inherited and causal risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, according to a recent American Heart Association scientific statement. It is estimated that 1 in 5 Americans have high Lp(a) levels. Studies have shown that elevated Lp(a) — a low-density lipoprotein variant containing a protein called apolipoprotein(a) — is a risk factor for atherosclerosis (buildup of fatty material in artery walls) and related diseases, such as coronary heart disease and stroke. [1],[2] However, there are no standard management approaches for diagnosis or risk assessment, nor any targeted treatments available to lower Lp(a).
Today, national Lp(a) Awareness Day, the American Heart Association launched a new project to better understand the genetic and biological basis for variation in Lp(a) levels and its relationship to disease. The Lp(a) Discovery Project, supported by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, aims to determine clinical standards for optimal patient care through a new screening measure and quality improvement interventions for those with elevated Lp(a).
The Lp(a) Discovery Project will use an integrated, patient-centered approach to launch an Lp(a) screening measure and, using the Association’s current Integrated ASCVD Management Initiative infrastructure, track and test it nationally. The new effort will engage the six health systems currently involved in the ASCVD initiative, as well as an additional 10 new sites, to test and pilot specific Lp(a) quality improvement interventions.
In addition, the Association will launch a data challenge inviting the world’s best researchers to apply novel data science techniques with large clinical and genetic datasets to better understand how Lp(a) levels impact cardiovascular and stroke risk.
“Scientific discovery has determined that Lp(a) plays a role in the development of cardiovascular disease, however many questions still remain,” said Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association. “This project is an important step to fill in knowledge gaps around Lp(a) and encourage better, more targeted treatments to reduce cardiovascular risk.”
The three-year project will culminate with nationally released education and insights to improve patient care, as well as Lp(a) enhancements to the Association’s Get With The Guidelines® platform, such as additional data collection.
Additional Resources:
Available multimedia is on right column of release link.
Spanish news release (to be added)
ASCVD | American Heart Association
AHA News Story: This type of cholesterol could be bad in people with high blood pressure
###
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
[1] Section I, subsection b (fourth paragraph). Use of lipoprotein(a) in clinical practice: A biomarker whose time has come. A scientific statement from the National Lipid Association. Don P. Wilson, MD, on behalf of the Writing group
[2] Ancestry, Lipoprotein(a), and Cardiovascular Risk Thresholds: JACC Review Topic of the Week | Journal of the American College of Cardiology
END
New research project aims to set standardized approach to lipoprotein(a) management
The American Heart Association project, with support from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, will address the lack of standards for optimal patient screening and management of Lp(a), a critical cardiovascular disease risk factor
2023-03-24
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Dr. Natalie Uy named chief of division of pediatric nephrology at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital
2023-03-24
Dr. Natalie Uy, a leading pediatric nephrologist, has been named chief of the Division of Pediatric Nephrology in the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital, effective April 17.
The Division of Pediatric Nephrology provides compassionate care for newborns, children and young adults with complex kidney diseases and urologic conditions. Services provided include dialysis and kidney transplantation for patients with end-stage kidney disease.
Dr. Uy was recruited to Weill Cornell Medicine as an assistant professor of pediatrics ...
Use age, not weight, to screen for diabetes
2023-03-24
· All racial/ethnic minority groups develop diabetes at lower weights than white adults
· Screening all adults aged 35 to 70 years identifies the greatest proportion of adults with prediabetes and diabetes
· A ‘huge portion’ of the U.S. population has undiagnosed prediabetes or diabetes
CHICAGO --- Focus on age, not weight, to capture the greatest number of people in all racial and ethnic groups with prediabetes and diabetes, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.
Screening all adults ...
Framework helps local planners prepare for climate pressures on food, energy & water systems
2023-03-24
By David Chandler
As the world faces increasingly extreme and frequent weather events brought on by climate change – such as droughts, floods, heatwaves, and wildfires – critical civic resources such as food, water, and energy will be impacted. Local and regional planners need to anticipate those impacts and evaluate what measures can be taken to prepare.
Now, a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional team of researchers has built a detailed framework to provide guidance to these planners. After two years of in-depth consultation ...
Analysis of 3.6 million patient surgeries in England suggests it is safe to operate on patients 2 weeks after a positive COVID diagnosis, as long as they have recovered
2023-03-24
A new study of some 3.6 million surgeries from National Health Service (NHS) databases in England suggests that, in most cases, it will be safe to carry out planned surgery from 2 weeks after a positive COVID test, as long as the patient has recovered – compared to current guidance that recommends delaying surgery for 7 weeks. The study is published in Anaesthesia (a journal of the Association of Anaesthetists) and is by Dr Alwyn Kotzé, University of Leeds, UK and Dr Ciarán McInerney, ...
ORNL malware ‘vaccine’ generator licensed for Evasive.ai platform
2023-03-24
Access to artificial intelligence and machine learning is rapidly changing technology and product development, leading to more advanced, efficient and personalized applications by leveraging a massive amount of data.
However, the same abilities also are in the hands of bad actors, who use AI to create malware that evades detection by the algorithms widely employed by network security tools. Government agencies, banking institutions, critical infrastructure, and the world’s largest companies and their most used products are increasingly under threat from malware that can evade anti-virus systems, hijack networks, ...
THE LANCET: Health experts call for bold action to prioritize health over profit
2023-03-24
A new Series published in The Lancet describes how, although commercial entities can contribute positively to health and society, the products and practices of some commercial actors are responsible for escalating rates of avoidable ill health, planetary damage, and social and health inequity. Authors make key recommendations to ensure that contemporary capitalism is compatible with good population health.
The industries that produce just four harmful products – tobacco, alcohol, unhealthy food, and fossil fuels – account for at least a third of global deaths, illustrating the scale and huge economic cost of the problem.
Professor Rob Moodie, Series Lead ...
THE LANCET: Largest US state-by-state analysis of COVID-19 impact reveals the driving forces behind variations in health, education, and economic performance
2023-03-24
Peer-reviewed / Observational and modelling study / People
Four-fold variation in standardised COVID-19 death rates across US states between January 2020 and July 2022 – with death rates lowest in Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Maine and highest in Arizona, Washington, DC, and New Mexico.
COVID-19 exploited and compounded existing local racial inequities, health disparities, and partisan politics, resulting in a disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on communities of colour and in states that voted heavily Republican in the 2020 presidential election.
No link otherwise between state governors' ...
Risk of cervical cancer twice as high in women with mental illness
2023-03-24
Women with mental illness, neuropsychiatric disability, or substance abuse are less likely to go for gynaecological smear tests for cervical cancer and run more than twice the risk of developing the disease. The findings are presented in The Lancet Public Health by researchers from Karolinska Institutet, who stress the importance of proactively approaching these women as a preventative measure against cervical cancer.
In May 2020, the WHO approved a global strategy for eliminating cervical cancer as a women’s health problem. Part of the strategy is a requirement that 70 percent of women are screened for the disease at least once before age 35 and twice before ...
Poorest children have worse health and educational outcomes in adolescence
2023-03-24
Generation Z children born into the poorest fifth of families in the UK are 12 times more likely to experience a raft of poor health and educational outcomes by the age of 17 compared to more affluent peers, finds a new report led by UCL researchers.
The study, published in The Lancet Public Health, used data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a major study of more than 15,000 children born after the new millennium (September 2000 - January 2002) who are now in their early 20s.
Researchers collected data on five adverse health and social outcomes in adolescents aged 17 years, which are known to limit life chances: ...
More support needed for children with disabilities using the Internet
2023-03-24
Children with disabilities need better support to manage their online lives and potential online risks, according to new research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA).
For children with disabilities, being online and part of a well-connected community can have huge benefits. However, children with disabilities will encounter more online risks, and these can escalate more quickly than for their peers.
The research shows that extra support from professionals such as teachers, youth workers and speech and language therapists does not always happen when they are learning, playing, and socialising on the Internet. It also highlights how this impacts on the ability ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
New perspective highlights urgent need for US physician strike regulations
An eye-opening year of extreme weather and climate
Scientists engineer substrates hostile to bacteria but friendly to cells
New tablet shows promise for the control and elimination of intestinal worms
Project to redesign clinical trials for neurologic conditions for underserved populations funded with $2.9M grant to UTHealth Houston
Depression – discovering faster which treatment will work best for which individual
Breakthrough study reveals unexpected cause of winter ozone pollution
nTIDE January 2025 Jobs Report: Encouraging signs in disability employment: A slow but positive trajectory
Generative AI: Uncovering its environmental and social costs
Lower access to air conditioning may increase need for emergency care for wildfire smoke exposure
Dangerous bacterial biofilms have a natural enemy
Food study launched examining bone health of women 60 years and older
CDC awards $1.25M to engineers retooling mine production and safety
Using AI to uncover hospital patients’ long COVID care needs
$1.9M NIH grant will allow researchers to explore how copper kills bacteria
New fossil discovery sheds light on the early evolution of animal nervous systems
A battle of rafts: How molecular dynamics in CAR T cells explain their cancer-killing behavior
Study shows how plant roots access deeper soils in search of water
Study reveals cost differences between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare patients in cancer drugs
‘What is that?’ UCalgary scientists explain white patch that appears near northern lights
How many children use Tik Tok against the rules? Most, study finds
Scientists find out why aphasia patients lose the ability to talk about the past and future
Tickling the nerves: Why crime content is popular
Intelligent fight: AI enhances cervical cancer detection
Breakthrough study reveals the secrets behind cordierite’s anomalous thermal expansion
Patient-reported influence of sociopolitical issues on post-Dobbs vasectomy decisions
Radon exposure and gestational diabetes
EMBARGOED UNTIL 1600 GMT, FRIDAY 10 JANUARY 2025: Northumbria space physicist honoured by Royal Astronomical Society
Medicare rules may reduce prescription steering
Red light linked to lowered risk of blood clots
[Press-News.org] New research project aims to set standardized approach to lipoprotein(a) managementThe American Heart Association project, with support from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, will address the lack of standards for optimal patient screening and management of Lp(a), a critical cardiovascular disease risk factor