Lipoprotein(a) in an adult sample from the Russian population: distribution and association with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases

Abstr a c t Introduction: Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is recognized as an independent risk fac-tor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The aim of this study was to estimate the distribution of Lp(a) levels in working age adults from the Russian population and to assess its association with ischemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, diabetes mellitus (DM), and arterial hypertension (AH). Material and methods: This substudy of the population-based study "Epide-miology of Cardiovascular Diseases and their Risk Factors in Some Regions of the Russian Federation" (ESSE-RF) included 8461 subjects aged 25-64 years (63.7% women) without lipid-lowering drugs. Atherosclerotic cardio-vascular disease was self-reported. Lp(a), apolipoproteins AI and B, and lipid and glucose levels in blood serum were determined. Results: The prevalence of Lp(a) >_ 30 mg/dl was 20.5% and 23.0%, and prev-alence of Lp(a) >_ 50 mg/dl was 13.3% and 15.2%, in men and women, re-spectively. An association of Lp(a) with IHD, MI, and AH, but not with stroke and DM, was shown. A cut-off level of Lp(a) of 9 mg/dl was determined, above which there was increased frequency of MI (by 59.2%, p = 0.02), IHD (by 33.4%, p < 0.001), and AH (by 11.6%, p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis only the association of Lp(a) with IHD (1.19 (1.01-1.41), p = 0.038) and MI (1.57 (1.06-2.38), p = 0.028) remained significant. Conclusions: Lipoprotein(a) level >_ 30 mg/dl was detected in every fifth adult aged 25-64 years. Increased risk of MI and IHD starts at an Lp(a) se-rum level above 9 mg/dl.