Lipoprotein (a) Blood Test

Lipoprotein (a) - Lp(a) - is a type of fat found in your blood. Lp(a) levels are mainly determined by your genes and high levels significantly increase your risk of heart disease. Around 1-in-5 people have high Lp(a) levels.

Our Lipoprotein (a) Blood Test is a simple finger-prick test you can take at home and send to our lab for analysis. You'll receive a doctor's report with your Lp(a) level and an explanation of how it may affect your risk of heart disease and what to do about it.

What you need to know about our Lipoprotein (a) Blood Test

Lipoprotein (a) or Lp(a) is a fat particle in the blood that causes narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Your levels of Lp(a) are determined by genes you inherit from your parents and about 1-in-5 of us have high Lp(a) levels. High levels of Lp(a) are the commenest genetic risk factor for heart disease and guidelines recommend that we all have our Lp(a) level tested at least once.

Taking an Lp(a) blood test gives you information about your heart disease risk and, if your Lp(a) level is high, you can take action to lower your risk.

How do high Lp(a) levels affect me?

You can think of Lp(a) as a kind of "supercharged" cholesterol particle. It's very good at getting into your blood vessel walls and causing atherosclerosis or narrowing. It's more damaging than other cholesterol-carrying particles such as LDL-cholesterol.

High Lp(a) levels increase your risk of: - heart attack - heart failure - stroke - aortic valve narrowing (aortic stenosis)

How do I know if I have high Lp(a) levels?

A high Lp(a) wont give you any symptoms. It's a little like having high cholesterol levels - you only really get symptoms when it's too late with narrowing of your arteries causing heart disease. The only way to know your Lp(a) is to take an Lp(a) blood test.

However, there are still a few clues that you might have a high Lp(a) level. You're at higher risk of having a hih Lp(a) level if:

• you have a family history of heart disease
• one or more of your relatives have high Lp(a)
• you're of black ethnicity

Who should take an Lp(a) test?

The short answer is that guidelines recommend that everyone check their Lp(a) level at least once. This is because high Lp(a) levels are common, affecting around 1-in-5 people. People with a family history of heart disease or who have relatives with a high Lp(a) level are especially encouraged to check their level.

When should I take an Lp(a) test?

Your Lp(a) level is determined by your genes. This means that your Lp(a) level will effectively be "set" by the time you're about 2 years old. The sooner you take an Lp(a) test, the sooner you'll know your Lp(a) level. We recommend this lipoprotein (a) blood test for any adult that hasn't yet checked their Lp(a).

What does my Lp(a) level mean?

Essentially, the higher your Lp(a) level, the higher your risk of heart disease. There are specific Lp(a) thresholds that can be used to assess your risk. The table below shows your heart disease risk for various Lp(a) thresholds and where that level puts you as a percentile of the general population.

Blood collection options

• Finger-prick blood collection (included)
• EasyDraw blood collection (+£25.00)
• Visit a clinic to have your blood taken (+£35.00)
• Book a venous draw at home or work with a nurse (+£70.00)
• Arrange your own venous blood draw (included)

Description provided by Selph.