Revisit lipoprotein(a): An independent risk factor for coronary artery disease severity in Indian population and its correlation with Gensini score

Aims Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels have shown wide ethnic variations. Further studies are needed, as there are sparse data in Indian population on mean Lp(a) levels and its link with clinical variables and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods In present study total 516 patients of suspected CAD undergoing coronary angiography were included after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria on the target population. Serum Lp(a) estimation was performed by immunoturbidimetric method. Results Among patients with normal coronaries, 67.3% patients had lipoprotein(a) levels <25 and 32.7% patients had lipoprotein(a) levels ≥25. In patients where 1 vessel was involved, 66.7% patients had lipoprotein(a) levels <25 and 33.3% patients had lipoprotein(a) levels ≥25. In patients where 2 vessels were involved 56% patients had lipoprotein(a) levels <25 and 44% patients had lipoprotein(a) levels ≥25. In patients where 3 vessels were involved 27.6% patients had lipoprotein(a) levels <25 and 72.6% patients had lipoprotein(a) levels ≥25. These results were significant and the p -value <0.001. The Gensini score was 29, when patients had lipoprotein(a) levels <25, while the Gensini score was 61, when patients had lipoprotein(a) levels ≥25 ( p -value <0.001). Mean number of diseased vessels, when lipoprotein(a) levels were <25 was 1, while the mean number of vessels were 3 when the lipoprotein(a) levels were ≥25 ( p -value of <0.001). Conclusion Lipoprotein(a) was found to be an important independent risk factor for CAD in Indian population and raised Lp(a) levels were also associated with increasing severity of the coronary vessel disease and multivessel CAD.