Lori Welsh did everything she could to avoid the heart attacks that struck her grandfather, mother and uncle. But in 2020, she had a heart attack at 47 years old.
“I monitored everything really closely,” she said. “I saw a cardiologist. Our diet was great. I exercised.”
But Welsh didn’t know that her risk of heart disease was heightened because of a hidden hereditary cholesterol called lipoprotein (a).
It’s similar to low-density lipoproteins, a common form of cholesterol also called LDL, but lipoprotein (a) can also cause clotting and plaque formation, said Dr. Wesley Milks, an assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at Ohio State University.
“It’s not just bad cholesterol,” he told WTOP. “It’s really bad cholesterol.”
Lipoprotein (a) doesn’t readily respond to a healthy-eating plan, regular heart-pumping exercise and the usual medicines that lower cholesterol, said Milks.
According to the CDC, one person dies every 33 seconds from heart disease in the U.S.
“It’s the No. 1 killer of both men and women,” Milks said. “So we certainly want to identify and modify any factors that impact the risk of heart disease.”
Researchers estimate roughly one in five people have high levels of lipoprotein (a). For many patients like Welsh, there are few physical symptoms that indicate a risk for it. Family history is the most telling marker.
“It’s a form of bad cholesterol that is frankly underrecognized and undertested,” said Milks, who is also a cardiologist at the university’s Wexner Medical Center. “Only less than 5% of the population who has a family history of heart disease has been tested” for lipoprotein (a).
Plus, most standard heart tests don’t include a search for lipoprotein (a). Patients have to request a probe for this type of bad cholesterol, Milks told WTOP.
Two years ago, Welsh started participating in a clinical trial that studies a new therapy to lower her cholesterol levels. She wants more people who have a family history of heart disease to know about the hidden risks of lipoprotein(a).
“I don’t know if there’s anything more important than your health,” she said. “If you can identify that you have a risk factor, that causes a lot of problems in some families, I would absolutely want to know that.”
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article contained an incorrect spelling for Lori Welsh’s last name. The story has been updated.
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