ESC Congress 2025 - Cascade screening proves to be an effective tool to identify more patients with elevated LP(a) levels.

Dr Jonas Brinck (Karolinska Institute, SE) joins us to discuss findings from the LipoaScreen study, evaluating cascade screening for elevated lipoprotein(a) in relatives of patients with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.

This prospective study examined whether elevated Lp(a) levels in patients with coronary artery disease are passed on to their family members. The study included 750 patients from six Swedish hospitals, divided into three groups based on their Lp(a) levels: low, intermediate, and high. These patients then invited 1,200 first- and second-degree relatives to have their Lp(a) levels measured. The study looked at how often elevated Lp(a) occurred in family members and compared cardiovascular disease rates between patients and their relatives.

Interview Questions:
1. What is the current landscape for Lp(a) screening and why is cascade screening an important consideration?
2. What were the aims of this study?
3. What were your key findings?
4. What are the clinical implications for these findings for implementing LP(a)cascade screening in routine practice?
5. What are your key take-home messages for clinicians managing patients with elevated Lp(a)
6. What are the next steps for this research and for Lp(a) screening more broadly?

Recorded on-site at ESC Congress 2025, Madrid.

Editors: Jordan Rance, Yazmin Sadik.
Videographers: Mike Knight, Dan Brent, Oliver Miles, Tom Green, David-Ben-Harosh.
Support: This is an independent interview produced by Radcliffe Cardiology.