Patients with normal lipoprotein(a) levels may retain risk of atherosclerosis due to elevated LDL-P number

LipoScience, Inc., an in vitro diagnostic company advancing patient care by developing high value proprietary clinical diagnostic tests using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology, today announced results from a clinical study demonstrating that patients with normal levels of lipoprotein(a) may retain significant risk of atherosclerosis due to an elevated low density lipoprotein particle (LDL-P) number. Lipoprotein(a) is considered a risk factor for atherosclerotic diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke.

“This additional evidence supports the literature that demonstrated that in patients whose LDL particle number is greater than their LDL cholesterol level, the risk of cardiovascular events increases with the higher LDL particle number.”

Researchers analyzed blood samples from 3,024 subjects who were previously diagnosed with either hyperlipidemia, clinical coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus or symptomatic carotid artery disease and concluded that 52 percent of patients with lipoprotein(a) levels of less than 30 mg/dL (which is considered normal) had LDL particle levels greater than 1,300 nmol/L (which is considered high).

"These results provide further evidence that measuring LDL particles in clinical practice may lead to better management of cardiovascular disease by identifying those patients who may be at residual risk for cardiac events despite normal values on other lipid and lipoprotein measurements," said Hector Malave, M.D., a practicing cardiologist in Atlanta and investigator in this study.

This study is one of several on lipoprotein particles that were presented at the National Lipid Association Annual Scientific Sessions in Scottsdale, Ariz. Other notable results include:

• A study of nearly 1,220 patients which found that co-administration of ezetimibe/simvastatin (E/S) and extended-release niacin reduced LDL particle levels and increased high density lipoprotein particle (HDL-P) levels significantly more than E/S or niacin alone in patients with type IIa and IIb hyperlipidemia.
• A study which found that HIV positive patients may be more likely to experience discordance between LDL cholesterol and LDL particle levels, suggesting that measurement of LDL cholesterol alone in this patient population may underestimate the atherogenic burden for HIV patients which are known to have increased cardiovascular disease risk.

"Many papers demonstrating the clinical utility of LDL particles have been published in peer-reviewed medical journals," said Robert Honigberg, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Vice President, Medical Affairs of LipoScience. "This additional evidence supports the literature that demonstrated that in patients whose LDL particle number is greater than their LDL cholesterol level, the risk of cardiovascular events increases with the higher LDL particle number."

In these studies, lipoprotein particle levels were measured using LipoScience's NMR LipoProfile^® test, which detects the concentration of low density and high density lipoprotein particles in a blood sample and provides physicians and their patients with actionable information to personalize management of risk for cardiovascular disease. To date, over 7 million NMR LipoProfile tests have been ordered to aid in the management of patients' heart heath.