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High lipoprotein(a) is a heart risk at every age — but older adults face the steepest danger. A large Danish study found that elevated Lp(a) carries the same relative risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) across all age groups, but the absolute risk climbs sharply with age. Adults aged 80–100 with high Lp(a) face the greatest burden, making them prime candidates for future Lp(a)-lowering therapies.
High lipoprotein(a) doesn't let up with age — in fact, it gets more dangerous. A large study from the Copenhagen General Population Study, presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress and published in Circulation, found that elevated Lp(a) carries a consistent relative risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) across all age groups, from young adults to centenarians. But the absolute risk rises steeply with age, meaning older adults with high Lp(a) face the heaviest real-world burden.
Researchers analyzed data from over 103,000 Danish adults aged 20–100, followed for a median of 12.5 years. The hazard ratios for ASCVD were remarkably stable across age groups (1.12–1.18), regardless of sex — but absolute incidence told a different story.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: These findings reinforce that Lp(a) testing should be a one-time standard for all adults, regardless of age. Older adults with high Lp(a) may stand to benefit the most from emerging Lp(a)-targeted therapies — a timely insight as the field continues to evaluate new treatment options.
