"lifestyle changes minimally affect Lp(a) levels, so repeat testing is generally not needed. As NPR's Allison Aubrey explained, the updated guidelines are part of a larger medical effort to assess people's lifetime risk of heart disease."
"While we want to try to optimize healthy lifestyle habits as the first step to lower cholesterol, we realize that if lipid numbers aren't within the desirable range after a period of lifestyle optimization, we should consider adding lipid-lowering medication earlier than we would have considered 10 years ago."
"The guidelines also call for at-risk men and women over 40 and 45, respectively, to undergo a noncontrast coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan. In addition, the organizations also recommend using a different method for purposes of risk assessment."
The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology have updated their guidelines to include genetic testing for lipoprotein(a), a risk factor for heart disease that cannot be managed through diet or behavior alone. A single test in adulthood is recommended since lifestyle changes minimally affect Lp(a) levels. Early testing enables earlier medication intervention for at-risk individuals. The updated guidelines also recommend coronary artery calcium scans for at-risk men over 40 and women over 45, along with revised risk assessment methods. These changes aim to better assess lifetime heart disease risk and provide earlier treatment access to prevent cardiovascular events.
#genetic-testing #lipoproteina #heart-disease-prevention #cardiovascular-risk-assessment #updated-medical-guidelines
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