#07 – Deep Dive: Lp(a) — what every doctor, and the 10-20% of the population at risk, needs to know

This is our first “deep dive” episode that goes into detail on one topic. Pronounced, el-pee-little-a, this lipoprotein is simply described as a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) that has an apoprotein “a” attached to it…but Lp(a) goes far beyond its description in terms of its structure, function, and the role that it plays in cardiovascular health and disease. Affecting about 1-in-5 people, and not on the radar of many doctors, this is a deep dive into a very important subject for people to understand.

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* If you would like us to do a deep dive on a particular topic, please submit your request to the comments section of this post. Please look at the existing comments before posting, and “upvote” the topic (or topics) you want us to cover. *

Note: this podcast gets technical at times. The figures in the show notes are your friends. They truly speak more than a 1,000 words apiece. I can’t emphasize enough how helpful it is to look at the figures before, during, and/or after I try verbally walk you through things like kringle repeats, molecular weight isoforms, lysine-binding domains, and plasminogen homology, as a few examples. If you stick with it, I think you will be rewarded.

We discuss:

• A quick primer on lipoproteins [7:30];
• Intro to Lp(a) [11:00];
• Lab tests for Lp(a) and reference ranges [20:00];
• The physiologic functions of Lp(a) [31:00];
• The problems associated with high Lp(a) [34:15];
• Lipid-lowering therapies of Lp(a) [44:45];
• Lp(a) modification through lifestyle intervention [1:00:45];
• High LDL-P on a ketogenic/low-carb-high-fat diet [1:05:30]; and
• More

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