What is LP (a)?

When oily substances such as cholesterol and triglycerides travel in the bloodstream, pair with a protein called apolipoprotein, which allows them to dissolve in the liquid part of the blood. Examples of these combinations of fat and protein, called lipoproteins, are low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high -density lipoproteins (HDL), which are commonly measured in cholesterol screening tests. Lipoprotein (A), or simply LP (A), is a low density lipoprotein associated with apolipoprotein (A), created in the liver. Increased levels of LP (A) were associated with increased risk of heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis and blood clots. Lipoprotein (A) was also associated with a reduced chance of survival with these conditions.

Scientists were unable to discover the role of LP (a) in the body. Its structure is similar to the chemical substance responsible for the breakdown of blood clots called plasminogen. If there is a high level of circulating LP (A), LP (a) binds to the same receptors as Plasminogen. This inhibits the AktiVita plasminogen, resulting in the development of more blood clots than usual. Blood clots contribute to heart attacks and strokes.

lp (a) stimulates the storage of cholesterol in cells that line the internal drilling of the arteries. This process narrows the arterial diameter and causes cholesterol plaque formation in places with increased blood flow and turbulence. When the plaques begin to interfere with the blood column in the artery, the tissue supplied with an artery is starving for oxygen. Poor blood flow is another risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

Lipoprotein blood level (a) is not normally evaluated in blood tests. There is no standardized scale for measuring this blood lipid. In addition, there are no clinical trials to clearly demonstrate the relationship between LP (A) and heart disease and no studies that show that LP reduction reduces the overall risk of heart attack or stroke. KroI am of high levels of lipoprotein (a) the most dangerous if low -density cholesterol levels are also high, making it difficult to analyze which blood lipid produces this problem.

The levels of

lipoproteins (A) are determined primarily by inheritance. African populations tend to have higher LP levels than the Caucasus. Drugs for exercise, diet and drug -reducing drugs change a remarkably small difference in the modulation of high LP levels (A). Some studies promote the use of aspirin or niacin with a low dose to control the levels of lipoprotein (A). In the Tanzania study, fish eaters had lower LPs (A) than other segments of the population, leading to the possibility that fish oil supplements can be useful in reducing lipoprotein (A).