Serum Lipoprotein-a as a Marker of Severity of Coronary Artery Disease in Aortic Valve Sclerosis Patients

Is Lipoprotein-a Just a Lipid Marker or a Predictor for the Severity of Coronary Lesions in Aortic Valve Sclerosis Patients?

This work aimed to evaluate the association of serum level of Lp(a) with the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in aortic valve sclerosis (AVS) patients.

Aortic valve sclerosis (AVS) has a prevalence of 2% to 7% in the population above 65 years of age. In industrialized countries, aortic valve sclerosis is most frequently caused by progressive calcification and degeneration of the aortic cusps.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most significant single cause of death in the world. In developed countries, more than 25% of all deaths in persons older than 35 years are due to CAD. More than half of acute myocardial infarctions occur without previous history or symptoms of CAD.

In recent years, there has been a special emphasis on lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), a significant, causal, and nonmodifiable predictor of valvular outcomes and CAD in the general population

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 18 years.
• Both sexes.
• Patients with chest pain and/or dyspnea were diagnosed provisionally as having coronary artery disease.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Aortic stenosis.
• Aortic prosthesis.
• Untreated hypothyroidism.
• Severe chronic kidney failure.
• Administration of anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive drugs.
• Pregnancy.