384. Case Report: Little (a), Big Deal – National Lipid Association

CardioNerds Dan Ambinder and Dr. Devesh Rai join cardiology fellows and National Lipid Association lipid scholars Dr. Oby Ibe from Temple University and Dr. Elizabeth Epstein from Scripps Clinic. They discuss a case involving a patient with elevated Lp(a). Dr. Jessica Pena provides expert commentary. Drs. Oby Ibe and Elizabeth Epstein drafted notes. CardioNerds Intern Christiana Dangas engineered episode audio. This episode is part of a case reports series developed in collaboration with the National Lipid Association and their Lipid Scholarship Program, with mentorship from Dr. Daniel Soffer and Dr. Eugenia Gianos.



An asymptomatic 34-year-old female presented to the cardiology clinic for cardiovascular risk assessment. Her past medical history included polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and depression. Her labs were notable for total cholesterol 189 mg/dL, LDL of 131 mg/dL, HDL 34 mg/dL, triglycerides 134 mg/dL, and Lp(a) 217 nmol/L. Her 10-year ASCVD risk by the PREVENT calculator was 0.5%, and her 30-year risk was 3.5%. She had no carotid plaque. Because her 30-year risk was significantly increased by her elevated Lp(a), intensive risk factor management was emphasized, and she was started on a low-dose statin with a plan to follow the patient to reassess the need for intensification of lipid-lowering and/or initiation of novel Lp(a)-lowering therapies over time.







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Pearls - Little (a), Big Deal – National Lipid Association




You are never too young to see a preventive cardiologist! The field of preventive cardiology is shifting focus towards the identification of early upstream risk and intervention before the development of clinical ASCVD (1,5). Patients who have a strong family history of cardiovascular disease, a personal history of CVD at an early age, multiple risk factors, or genetic disorders such as familial hypercholesterolemia especially benefit from early cardiovascular risk assessment and reduction.



Female-specific risk factors to incorporate into a young woman’s cardiovascular risk assessment include polycystic ovarian syndrome, hormone contraceptive use, early menarche (age 5 pregnancies), early menopause (age