Severe coronary disease in an adult considered at low cardiovascular disease risk with a healthy lifestyle.
Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a lipoprotein subclass well-known among the lipid community to accelerate atherosclerosis and promote thrombosis through incompletely understood mechanism. We report a case of a young man with a healthy lifestyle and no major coronary or vascular risk factors who presented to the emergency department with an acute coronary syndrome and was ultimately found to have severe coronary artery disease. A diagnostic workup revealed elevated Lp(a). He was treated with consequent reduction in Lp(a) concentration. This case highlights the need to better understand atypical lipoproteins, how they relate to cardiovascular disease, the implications for screening family members, and the need to standardize patient management guidelines for the purpose of mortality risk reduction.
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. Electronic address: scameron_2@yahoo.com.
Scott J
SJ
Cameron
Robert C
RC
Block
John Franklin
JF
Richeson
D000328:Adult; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012306:Risk
D017270:Lipoprotein(a)
Coronary artery disease (CAD); High-density lipoprotein (HDL); Left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD); Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)]; Low-density lipoprotein (LDL); Right coronary artery (RCA); Triglyceride (TG)