title: Lipoprotein (a) levels are not associated with carotid plaques and carotid intima media thickness in statin-treated patients with familial hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lipoprotein (a), also called Lp(a), is a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor. Statins do not lower Lp(a), this may at least partly explain residual CVD risk in statin-treated patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). We investigated the association of Lp(a) levels with atherosclerosis in these patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We performed ultrasonography in 191 statin-treated FH patients (50% men; 48 ± 15 years) to detect carotid plaques and determine carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT). Patients with high versus low Lp(a) levels (≤0.3 g/L) had similar plaque prevalence (36 and 31%, p = 0.4) and C-IMT (0.59 ± 0.12 and 0.59 ± 0.13 mm, p = 0.8). Patients with and without plaques had similar Lp(a) levels (median 0.35 (IQR: 0.57) and 0.24 (0.64) g/L, respectively, p = 0.4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Lp(a) levels were not associated with atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries of statin-treated FH patients. This suggests that adequate statin treatment delays carotid atherosclerosis in FH independently of Lp(a) levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division Vascular Medicine, Erasmus MC, 's Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bos
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division Vascular Medicine, Erasmus MC, 's Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martijne H C
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Duvekot
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division Vascular Medicine, Erasmus MC, 's Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Adriana C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Touw-Blommesteijn
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division Vascular Medicine, Erasmus MC, 's Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Adrie J M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Verhoeven
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division Vascular Medicine, Erasmus MC, 's Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Monique T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.affiliation: Lipid Disorders Clinic, Cardiovascular Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Gerald F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division Vascular Medicine, Erasmus MC, 's Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eric J G
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Sijbrands
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division Vascular Medicine, Erasmus MC, 's Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.roetersvanlennep@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Jeanine E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Roeters van Lennep
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D017270:Lipoprotein(a)
keywords: Carotid intima media thickness; Carotid plaque presence; Familial hypercholesterolemia; Lipoprotein (a); Residual risk