Lipoprotein A & Cardiovascular Disease

At ALETRIS Center of Integrative Medicine, our goal is to educate patients about preventative medicine. Cardiovascular disease is always a popular topic with our patients simply because the average American is more likely to die of heart disease than any other disease.

Beyond cholesterol, there are many more blood markers that may predict one's risk of heart disease. One less-known risk factor is lipoprotein a. Lipoprotein a, also called Lp-a, is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a better predictor than the more well known LDL cholesterol marker.

Lp-a is carried on the LDL molecule and tells us how “sticky” the LDL is. In other words, the higher the Lp-a level, the higher the risk that LDL will be placed in the artery wall and eventually cause blockage. Blocked arteries eventually cause strokes and heart attacks, the top two killers in the US.

The good news is that specific diets as well as supplementation will reduce Lp-a levels in at-risk patients. At ALETRIS Center, we run all cardiovascular risk factors in order to determine our individual patients’ risks. Caught early, a patient’s risk for heart disease can be drastically reduced.

ALETRIS Center of Integrative Medicine is a Scottsdale, AZ wellness center serving Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Glendale, Arrowhead, Peoria, Sun City, Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, and Mesa, AZ with specialties in naturopathic medicine, natural hormone therapy, women's health, acupuncture, colon hydrotherapy, natural skincare and sugar hair removal.

The contents of this blog, including text, graphics, images and other material, are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please seek the counsel of an ALETRIS physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment.