Doctors seek more lipoprotein(a) cholesterol testing

Cardiologists are also on the fence about who should be checked and when. McGarrah wants the Lp(a) screening once a person gets their first regular cholesterol panel. “Whether it is [age] 18 or 25 or later, it would be good to combine Lp(a) testing – often covered by insurance – to better contextualize their risk of developing cardiovascular disease,” he said. But Paruchuri argues that screening for Lp(a) is better used in patients at marginal risk. “As a patient, having elevated Lp(a) levels but without a clear treatment plan can cause significant anxiety and/or dramatically increase the use of other cardiovascular tests,” she says. unnecessary.