Lipoprotein(a) in atrial fibrillation

[Carew]

The other day I fell across a paper:

The role of lipoprotein(a) in atrial fibrillation: a systematic review.

europepmc.org/article/MED/3...

Within that paper, I specifically noticed in their reference 28:

Conclusion

Low circulating Lp(a) levels were associated with AF, especially in the female Han population, suggesting that Lp(a) may be useful for risk stratification of AF in female individuals.

Jiang L, Yang X, Tao J, Qiu Q, Gao F, Chen W, Hu L, Xu Y, Yi Y. Low lipoprotein(a) concentration is associated with higher atrial fibrillation risk: A large retrospective cohort study. Research Square; 2022. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1692867/v1. PPR:PPR498747.

europepmc.org/article/MED/3...

I ignored the "female" and "Han" aspects. And just considered my own lipid results:

Apolipoprotein A1 (1.04 - 2.02) 1.32 g/L

Apolipoprotein B (0.66 - 1.33) 0.71 g/L

Cholesterol General: (0 - 5.0) 3.57 mmol/L

HDL (1 - 10) 1 mmol/L

LDL (<3) 1.9 mmol/L

Lipoprotein (a) < General: <75 7 nmol/L

Triglycerides (Fasting triglyceride (10-14 hours) should be below 1.7mmol/L.) 1.5 mmol/L

I have long had 100% permanent afib.

Comments? Thoughts?

[Cliff_G]

Well, my Lp(a) is monster high, 205 mg/dl ("of concern" level is above 30), and was only found 2 years after my aortic dissection and 25 years after I first started AF. Mine is probably familial.

So I don't know how my personal n=1 study fits with their data...

Normally, high Lp(a) is associated with cardiovascular risk. Mine almost certainly led to my aortic penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer which probably inititated my dissection.

[Cliff_G in reply to Cliff_G]

p.s., the first study you linked says "Mendelian randomization studies advocate a causal association between high Lp(a) and AF" and that studies are conflicting. One I'd put in the deeper recesses of my brain in case something pops up later. But there is also no current treatment for high Lp(a).

[Carew in reply to Cliff_G]

Yes - it does!

205 is an even higher high than 7 is a low low. IYSWM.

I've actually had a reply from the author of the first paper confirming my interpretation - that low LP(a) was seen as a factor in that one paper.

With my lipid results - which have been in the same general direction forever - I get absolutely frustrated that it is so difficult to even search for low Lp(a), low total cholesterol, low LDL, etc!

And, if cholesterol is low, what would be the advantage in having a high HDL to return the non-existent cholesterol to the liver?

[Autumn_Leaves]

As someone with naturally low cholesterol, I get your frustration with the lack of information about low cholesterol. I am so weary of all these gloom-and-doom scare mongerers who don’t seem to realise that people with naturally low cholesterol actually exist! They all seem to love to post some graph that “proves” that if you have low cholesterol you are doomed and death is imminent! It drives me round the bend. I blame my parents for my low cholesterol (and my hereditary high iron levels, haha). It’s not down to anything I’ve done. Otherwise I’m the consummate goody-goody. Of course.