Skip to main content
NIHPA Author Manuscripts logoLink to NIHPA Author Manuscripts
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2025 Nov 15.
Published in final edited form as: Am J Cardiol. 2024 Sep 6;231:40–47. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2024.09.006

Association Between Lipoprotein(a) and Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease and High-Risk Plaque: Insights From the PROMISE Trial

Thomas O’Toole a,b, Nishant P Shah a,b, Stephanie Nicole Giamberardino c, Lydia Coulter Kwee c, Deepak Voora b, Robert W McGarrah b,c, Maros Ferencik d, Michael T Lu e, William E Kraus b,c, Borek Foldyna e, Pamela S Douglas a,b, Svati H Shah a,c, Neha J Pagidipati a,b
PMCID: PMC11524762  NIHMSID: NIHMS2025331  PMID: 39245334

Abstract

Background:

The role of lipoprotein (a), or Lp(a), in the development of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) and high-risk plaque (HRP) among primary prevention patients with stable chest pain is unknown. We sought to evaluate the relationship of Lp(a), independent of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), with the presence of obstructive CAD and HRP in an attempt to improve understanding of the residual risk imparted by Lp(a) on CAD.

Methods:

We performed a secondary analysis among PROMISE (Prospective Multicenter Imaging Study for Evaluation of Chest Pain) Trial participants who had coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) performed and Lp(a) data available. Lp(a) concentration was analyzed as a binary variable with elevated Lp(a) defined as ≥50 mg/dL. “Stenosis ≥ 50%” was defined as ≥50% coronary artery stenosis in any epicardial vessel, and “Stenosis ≥ 70%” was defined as ≥70% coronary artery stenosis in any epicardial vessel and/or ≥50% left main coronary artery stenosis. HRP was defined as presence of plaque on CTA imaging with evidence of positive remodeling, low CT attenuation, or napkin ring sign. Multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to evaluate the association between Lp(a) and the outcomes of obstructive CAD and HRP stratified by LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL vs. <100 mg/dL.

Results:

Of the 1,815 patients who underwent CTA and had Lp(a) data available, those with elevated Lp(a) were more commonly female and Black than those with lower Lp(a). Elevated Lp(a) was associated with both Stenosis ≥ 50% (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.14–2.15, p=0.005) and Stenosis ≥ 70% (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.34–3.11, p=0.0008) in multivariate models, and this relationship was not modified by LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL vs. <100 mg/dL (interaction p>0.4). Elevated Lp(a) was not associated with HRP when adjusted for obstructive CAD.

Conclusions:

This study of patients without known CAD found that elevated Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL was independently associated with the presence of obstructive CAD regardless of controlled vs. uncontrolled LDL-C, but was not independently associated with HRP when Stenosis ≥ 50% or ≥ 70% was accounted for. Further research is warranted to delineate the role of Lp(a) in the residual risk for ASCVD that patients may have despite optimal LDL-C lowering.

Keywords: lipoprotein (a), lipids, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, high-risk coronary plaque

Introduction

The traditional lipid management strategy to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk places greatest emphasis on reduction of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), reflected in the most recent American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guideline on the management of blood cholesterol.13 Although management of LDL-C and other traditional risk factors is effective, many patients remain at increased ASCVD risk despite optimal medical therapy.3 Evidence is mounting that this residual risk may be at least partially related to elevations in lipoprotein (a), or Lp(a).

Lp(a) is a lipoprotein that contains apolipoprotein (a), which is derived from the plasminogen gene and likely contributes to the proatherogenic, proinflammatory, and prothrombotic properties of Lp(a).4 Indeed, Lp(a) is strongly associated with premature and accelerated atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, and calcific aortic stenosis, independent of LDL-C.59 As such, elevated Lp(a) is recognized in the 2018 ACC/AHA cholesterol guidelines as an ASCVD risk enhancer.10,11

Although there are currently no approved therapies targeting elevated Lp(a), multiple novel therapies are under active clinical investigation,1214 which raises the possibility that Lp(a) may soon become a modifiable risk factor. However, current understanding of the degree to which Lp(a) imparts residual risk among individuals without known coronary artery disease (CAD) is suboptimal, especially since most studies have not systematically assessed high-risk plaque (HRP), which may be a mediator of residual risk. The Prospective Multicenter Imaging Study for Evaluation of Chest Pain (PROMISE) was a randomized trial of participants that compared coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) to noninvasive stress testing in symptomatic patients without a diagnosis of CAD.15,16 This population of patients at risk for CAD provides an optimal cohort to evaluate the role of Lp(a), independent of LDL-C, in the development of obstructive CAD and HRP. Herein, we evaluate the relationship of Lp(a) with the presence of obstructive CAD and features of HRP in an attempt to improve understanding of the residual risk imparted by Lp(a) on ASCVD and to better understand the population who could benefit the most from targeted reduction of Lp(a).

Methods

The design, rationale, and primary results of the PROMISE trial have been published.15,16 In brief, PROMISE was a multicenter, randomized trial completing enrollment of 10,003 participants between July 2010 and September 2013. The study used a pragmatic comparative effectiveness design to compare clinical outcomes after anatomical testing using CTA vs. functional noninvasive stress testing for nonurgent, noninvasive evaluation of patients with symptoms suggestive of CAD, but without known CAD. Local or central institutional review boards approved the trial, and all patients provided written informed consent.

Study Population

The PROMISE study included men older than age 54 and women older than age 64, as well as men aged 45–54 and women aged 50–64 with at least one additional ASCVD risk factor.15 Exclusion criteria included hemodynamic instability, suspected acute coronary syndrome, known CAD or evaluation of CAD in the last 12 months, history of cardiomyopathy, history of severe congenital or valvular disease, life expectancy less than 2 years, and those with contraindications to CTA. This post hoc analysis includes PROMISE participants in the CTA arm who also had biospecimens available and for whom Lp(a) measurements were obtained (N=1,815; Figure 1). Participants in the CTA arm without available biospecimens were not included in this study, nor were those in the functional testing arm.

Figure 1:

Figure 1:

CONSORT diagram.

Biomarker Evaluation

Lp(a) was measured in mg/dL using the Quantia Lp(a) assay from Abbott Laboratories, and samples were processed in two batches. LDL-C measurements were obtained using LipoScience (Labcorp) nuclear magnetic resonance assays.

Outcomes

Computed tomography (CT) measurements were obtained via contrast-enhanced coronary CTA using ≥64-slice multidetector CT. The technical quality of all studies was assessed, and quality control was ensured via overread of 10% of all studies.15,16 All CT plaque evaluation was done by the Massachusetts General Hospital CT core lab.15,16

For this analysis, obstructive CAD was defined at 2 levels: Stenosis50% was defined as coronary artery stenosis in any epicardial vessel of ≥50%, and Stenosis70% was defined as coronary artery stenosis ≥70% in any epicardial vessel and/or left main coronary artery stenosis ≥50%. HRP was defined as presence of any plaque on CTA imaging with evidence of any of the HRP features: positive remodeling, low CT attenuation, or napkin ring sign.

Statistical Analysis

Baseline characteristics of PROMISE participants are presented as mean ± standard deviation for continuous variables or count (percentage) of patients for categorical variables. Lp(a) concentration was analyzed as a binary variable, with elevated Lp(a) defined as ≥50 mg/dL and nonelevated Lp(a) defined as <50 mg/dL based on current ACC/AHA guidelines.11 Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to evaluate the association between Lp(a) and the outcomes of Stenosis ≥ 50% and Stenosis ≥ 70%. Univariable models were adjusted for Lp(a) sample batch. Multivariable models were further adjusted for sex, age, race, body mass index, LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL vs. <100 mg/dL, and statin use. Missing data for these adjustment factors were median- and mode-imputed. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models using the same adjustment factors were developed for the outcome of HRP, only among the subset of the population with either nonobstructive or obstructive CAD. To evaluate the potential residual risk related to Lp(a) beyond that estimated by LDL-C alone, we further stratified the models by LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL vs. <100 mg/dL. This threshold was chosen because this was a primary prevention population. Interaction analyses were performed to evaluate for the presence of interaction between LDL-C and Lp(a). A two-sided p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 1,815 participants were included in this PROMISE substudy, of whom 405 (22.3%) had Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL and 1,410 (77.7%) had Lp(a) <50 mg/dL. Supplemental Table 1 outlines baseline characteristics in the population for this analysis vs. the overall PROMISE trial population. Baseline characteristics stratified by elevated Lp(a) and nonelevated Lp(a) groups are presented in Table 1. The mean Lp(a) in the elevated Lp(a) group was 90.2±31.5 mg/dL and 14.1±12.1 mg/dL in the nonelevated group. The mean age was similar for both groups. There were higher proportions of females (57.3% vs. 51.6%) and Black participants (17.8% vs. 6.0%) in the elevated Lp(a) group compared with the nonelevated group. LDL-C was significantly higher in the elevated Lp(a) group, and a higher proportion of participants in the elevated group were on statin therapy (52.9% vs. 42.4%). Aspirin use was similar for both groups.

Table 1.

Baseline characteristics of PROMISE substudy population stratified by Lp(a) concentration

Characteristic Overall Lp(a) < 50 mg/dL Lp(a) ≥ 50 mg/dL p
n 1815 1410 405
Age, mean (SD) 60.2 (8.0) 60.1 (8.0) 60.5 (7.8) 0.3
Female, n (%) 959 (52.8) 727 (51.6) 232 (57.3) 0.05
Self-reported race, n (%) <0.001
White 1582 (87.5) 1263 (90.0) 319 (79.0)
Black or African American 156 ( 8.6) 84 ( 6.0) 72 (17.8)
Asian 30 ( 1.7) 24 ( 1.7) 6 ( 1.5)
American Indian or Alaska Native 13 ( 0.7) 10 ( 0.7) 3 ( 0.7)
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 4 ( 0.2) 4 ( 0.3) 0 ( 0.0)
Multi-racial 22 ( 1.2) 18 ( 1.3) 4 ( 1.0)
Body mass index, kg/m2, mean (SD) 30.6 (5.9) 30.7 (5.9) 30.0 (5.8) 0.04
LDL-C, mg/dL, mean (SD) 121.0 (34.8) 119.6 (33.6) 126.0 (38.3) 0.001
HDL-C, mg/dL, mean (SD) 53.5 (13.5) 52.8 (13.4) 55.9 (13.5) <0.001
Total cholesterol, mg/dL, mean (SD) 205.6 (42.6) 203.7 (40.9) 212.3 (47.6) <0.001
Triglycerides, mg/dL, mean (SD) 157.5 (113.1) 161.9 (117.9) 142.4 (92.9) 0.002
Lp(a), mg/dL, mean (SD) 31.1 (36.6) 14.1 (12.1) 90.2 (31.5) <0.001
Statin use at baseline, n (%) 785 (44.8) 578 (42.4) 207 (52.9) <0.001
Aspirin use at baseline, n (%) 821 (46.8) 627 (46.0) 194 (49.6) 0.233
Presence of obstructive CAD, n (%)
≥50% coronary artery stenosis 248 (13.7) 177 (12.6) 71 (17.5) 0.013
≥70% coronary artery stenosis or ≥50% left main stenosis 115 ( 6.3) 76 ( 5.4) 39 ( 9.6) 0.003

PROMISE = Prospective Multicenter Imaging Study for Evaluation of Chest Pain; Lp(a) = lipoprotein (a); LDL-C = low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; HDL-C = high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; CAD = coronary artery disease.

Lp(a) Levels and Obstructive CAD

In both univariate and multivariate models, elevated Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL was associated with higher odds of obstructive CAD (Table 2, Figure 2). Specifically, elevated Lp(a) was associated with stenosis ≥ 50% in univariate (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.09–1.99, p=0.01) and multivariate models (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.14–2.15, p=0.005). Similarly, elevated Lp(a) was associated with Stenosis ≥ 70% in both univariate (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.24–2.77, p=0.002) and multivariate models (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.34–3.11, p=0.0008).

Table 2.

Association between elevated Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL and presence and degree of obstructive CAD stratified by LDL-C.

Univariate Multivariate1


Presence of Obstructive CAD Population # with obstructive CAD (cases) # without obstructive CAD (controls) OR 95% CI P-value OR 95% CI P-value P-interaction

Stenosis ≥50% Overall 248 1567 1.48 1.09–1.99 0.01 1.5–7 1.14–2.15 0.005 -
LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL 187 1136 1.56 1.11–2.19 0.01 1.72 1.19–2.45 0.003 0.42
LDL-C <100 mg/dL 61 431 1.18 0.60–2.20 0.60 1.11 0.55–2.13 0.8

Stenosis ≥70%2 Overall 115 1700 1.86 1.24–2.77 0.002 2.05 1.34–3.11 0.0008 -
LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL 88 1235 2.00 1.25–3.13 0.003 2.28 1.41–3.65 0.0007 0.49
LDL-C <100 mg/dL 27 465 1.40 0.54–3.28 0.50 1.33 0.49–3.25 0.60

Lp(a) = lipoprotein (a); LDL-C = low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; CAD = coronary artery disease; OR = odds ratio; CI = confidence interval.

1

Adjustment variables for overall models include sex, age, self-reported race, body mass index, LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL vs. <100 mg/dL, and statin use; stratified models are not adjusted for LDL-C.

2

Includes ≥70% coronary artery stenosis or ≥50% left main coronary artery stenosis.

Figure 2:

Figure 2:

Association between elevated Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL and obstructive CAD, stratified by LDL-C level. Estimates are derived from models adjusted for sex, age, self-reported race, body mass index, LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL vs. <100 mg/dL, and statin use; stratified models are not adjusted for LDL-C.

Given our focus in this analysis on the role of Lp(a) in assessing residual risk, we then evaluated associations between Lp(a) with obstructive CAD stratified by LDL-C (≥100 mg/dL vs. <100 mg/dL). As outlined in Table 2, the effect estimate of the association between Lp(a) and both Stenosis ≥ 50% and ≥ 70% was greater among those with LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL. However, this difference was not statistically significant in interaction analyses of LDL-C and Lp(a), suggesting that the relationship between Lp(a) and obstructive CAD was not modified by controlled vs. uncontrolled LDL-C.

Lp(a) and HRP

The association between Lp(a) and HRP was evaluated among 1,187 individuals with any CAD (i.e., excluding those with no CAD). Elevated Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL was associated with the presence of HRP in both univariate (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.04–1.94, p=0.02) and multivariate models (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.04–1.98, p=0.02) (Table 3, Figure 3). However, this association was attenuated when further adjusted for the presence of obstructive CAD (p>0.1 in models adjusted for either Stenosis ≥ 50% or Stenosis ≥ 70%).

Table 3.

Association between elevated Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL and presence of HRP stratified by LDL-C.

Univariate Multivariate1 Multivariate+ Stenosis ≥50%2

Population # with HRP (cases) # without HRP (controls) OR 95% CI P-value OR 95% CI P-value OR 95% CI P-value P-interaction

Overall 279 908 1.43 1.04–1.94 0.02 1.44 1.04–1.98 002 1.30 0.93–1.81 0.12
LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL 212 646 1.49 1.04–2.10 0.03 1.52 1.06–2.17 0.02 1.36 0.93–1.98 0.10 0.56
LDL-C <100 mg/dL 67 262 1.14 0.56–2.21 0.71 1.17 0.56–2.32 0.66 1.09 0.51–2.19 0.81

Lp(a) = lipoprotein (a); HRP = high-risk plaque; LDL-C = low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; OR = odds ratio; CI = confidence interval.

1

Adjustment variables include sex, age, self-reported race, body mass index, LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL vs. <100 mg/dL, and statin use.

2

Adjustment variables include sex, age, self-reported race, body mass index, LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL vs. <100 mg/dL, statin use, and Stenosis ≥50%.

Figure 3:

Figure 3:

Association between elevated Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL and HRP among individuals with nonobstructive or obstructive CAD. Multivariate models are adjusted for sex, age, self-reported race, body mass index, LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL vs. <100 mg/dL, and statin use.

Similar to the above analysis with obstructive CAD, we evaluated the association between Lp(a) with HRP stratified by LDL-C (≥100 mg/dL vs. <100 mg/dL). As outlined in Table 3, the interaction term was nonsignificant, indicating that the relationship between Lp(a) and HRP was not modified by controlled vs. uncontrolled LDL-C.

Discussion

Improved management of traditional ASCVD risk factors has highlighted the importance of addressing residual ASCVD risk. This study, which leveraged high-quality, carefully phenotyped, core-lab-adjudicated clinical trial data, adds to the growing body of evidence implicating Lp(a) as an important risk factor for CAD. Our findings, which demonstrate an independent association of elevated Lp(a) with obstructive CAD in patients without known CAD, provides evidence in an important demographic of those at-risk for CAD, suggesting this population may benefit from novel therapies directed at Lp(a) as a primary prevention strategy. Though it was not statistically significant, there was a trend towards a stronger relationship between Lp(a) and obstructive CAD among those with uncontrolled LDL-C vs. those with controlled LDL-C, which runs contrary to the concept of Lp(a) imparting residual risk. Finally, elevated Lp(a) was associated with HRP, though this relationship was attenuated when the presence of obstructive CAD was accounted for.

In both univariate and multivariate analyses, we found that elevated Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL was associated with obstructive CAD as determined by CTA in patients without previously diagnosed CAD but with stable chest pain. Previous studies, particularly those utilizing CTA, that have investigated the relationship between Lp(a) and CAD have primarily focused on the analysis of plaque volume rather than the presence of obstructive CAD or qualitative high-risk plaque characteristics. One such example includes a recent post hoc analysis of six trials that employed coronary intravascular ultrasound imaging to assess atheroma volume in which investigators found elevated Lp(a) to be independently associated with high percent atheroma volume in a population of 3,943 participants.17 Another study of 814 participants who had undergone two sequential coronary CT angiograms at least 6 months apart found that when evaluating Lp(a) as a continuous variable, Lp(a) concentration was positively associated with the odds of CAD progression in multivariate models.18 The same study found that in models evaluating Lp(a) as a binary variable with a cutoff of 300 mg/dL, elevated Lp(a) >300 mg/dL was associated with an even higher odds of CAD progression.18 In addition to its association with CAD, in previous imaging studies focusing on the role of Lp(a) in carotid atherosclerotic disease, elevated Lp(a) was shown to be an independent predictor of carotid plaque burden both by carotid magnetic resonance imaging and multidetector row CT.19,20

We had an interest in assessing whether Lp(a) may serve as a marker of residual risk in individuals with controlled LDL-C. To our surprise, when stratified by LDL-C, the association of Lp(a) with obstructive CAD was significant only in those with LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL, although the interaction term for LDL-C level was nonsignificant. Nonetheless, this finding could suggest that in this population of symptomatic but undiagnosed patients, Lp(a) is not a marker of residual risk. It is possible that there are synergistic effects of LDL-C and Lp(a), both apolipoprotein B–containing particles, on plaque formation that increases the risk of obstructive CAD.17,21,22

We further evaluated whether Lp(a) was associated with HRP features. While we found that Lp(a) was associated with HRP, these results were attenuated when obstructive CAD was included in the model, suggesting that the observed association was primarily related to the previously seen association between Lp(a) and CAD. Other studies have shown an association of Lp(a) with HRP features. One such recent study found that Lp(a) was associated with CTA findings of high-risk plaque features defined as low attenuation plaque, positive remodeling, napkin-ring sign, spotty calcification, a minimum lumen area <4 mm2, or luminal plaque burden ≥70%.23 Another study using optical coherence tomography across 255 patients found that patients with Lp(a) > 25 mg/dL had an increased prevalence of thin-cap fibroatheroma as compared with those with Lp(a) < 25 mg/dL.24 However, neither of these studies adjusted for the presence of obstructive CAD, which may explain the discrepancy between these results and ours.

This study has several limitations, most notably its observational nature as a post hoc analysis of a larger clinical trial. However, adjustments to models were made to limit confounding as much as possible based on available data. The limited number of trial participants with Lp(a) measurements and even fewer with Lp(a) levels ≥50 mg/dL could have also masked any possible associations due to a lack of power. Additionally, while the absence of known coronary disease at baseline in trial participants was useful in extending current evidence to this population, the overall ASCVD risk of the study population was lower than a typical secondary prevention population where a higher burden of disease could be expected.

Overall, this study of patients without known CAD found that elevated Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL was independently associated with the presence of obstructive CAD regardless of controlled vs. uncontrolled LDL-C but was not independently associated with HRP when obstructive CAD was accounted for. Further research is warranted to delineate the role of Lp(a) in the residual risk for ASCVD that patients may have despite optimal LDL-C lowering.

Supplementary Material

1

Highlights:

  • Relationship between lipoprotein(a) and coronary atherosclerosis is unclear

  • In PROMISE, Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL was associated with obstructive coronary disease

  • This relationship was independent of LDL-C control

  • However, Lp(a) was not associated with high-risk coronary plaque

  • Further research is needed to understand the role of Lp(a) in CAD

Funding:

This work was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (grant numbers 1R01HL098237, 1R01HL098236, and 1R01HL098305). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Declaration of Competing Interest

Dr. Shah reports research grants from Amgen, Janssen, Eli Lily, Novartis, and National Institutes of Health, and service as a consultant/advisor for Merck, Amgen, Norvartis, and New Amsterdam Pharma.

Dr. Ferencik reports consulting fees from Cleerly, HeartFlow, Elucid, Siemens Healthineers, and BioMarin, and stock options from Elucid, and is a member of an advisory board for Cleerly.

Dr. Lu reports research funding to his institution from the American Heart Association, AstraZeneca, Ionis, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, MedImmune, National Academy of Medicine, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and Risk Management Foundation of the Harvard Medical Institutions outside the submitted work.

Dr. Foldyna reports research grants from National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL170877, 5P30DK040561), AstraZeneca, Cleerly Health, MedImmune, and MedTrace.

Dr. Pagidipati reports research support from Alnylam, Amgen, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eggland’s Best, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Merck; service on consultation/advisory panels for Amgen, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, CRISPR Therapeutics, Eli Lilly, Esperion, AstraZeneca, Merck, Novartis, and Novo Nordisk; service as an Executive Committee member for trials sponsored by Novo Nordisk and by Amgen and by AstraZeneca; service on a Data and Safety Monitoring Board for trials sponsored by Johnson & Johnson and Novartis; and service on a medical advisory board for Miga Health.

Footnotes

The remaining authors have no competing interests to declare.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Thomas O’Toole: investigation, writing original draft

Nishant P. Shah: conceptualization, investigation, writing – review/edit

Stephanie Nicole Giamberardino: formal analysis, methodology, writing review

Lydia Coulter Kwee: formal analysis, methodology, writing review, supervision

Deepak Voora: investigation, methodology, writing review

Robert W. McGarrah: investigation, methodology, writing review

Maros Ferencik: investigation, methodology, writing review

Michael T. Lu: investigation, methodology, writing review

William E. Kraus: investigation, methodology, writing review

Borek Foldyna: investigation, methodology, writing review

Pamela S. Douglas: conceptualization, investigation, methodology, writing review, funding acquisition, supervision

Svati H. Shah: conceptualization, investigation, methodology, writing review, funding acquisition, supervision

Neha J. Pagidipati: conceptualization, investigation, methodology, writing review, supervision

PROMISE ClinicalTrials.gov identifier = NCT01174550

Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Data sharing:

PROMISE data sets are available at https://biolincc.nhlbi.nih.gov/studies/promise. There are no commercial use data restrictions, and no data restrictions based on area of research.

References

  • 1.Koskinas KC, Siontis GCM, Piccolo R, Mavridis D, Räber L, Mach F, Windecker S. Effect of statins and non-statin LDL-lowering medications on cardiovascular outcomes in secondary prevention: a meta-analysis of randomized trials. Eur Heart J 2018;39:1172–1180. Available at: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehx566. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Silverman MG, Ference BA, Im K, Wiviott SD, Giugliano RP, Grundy SM, Braunwald E, Sabatine MS. Association Between Lowering LDL-C and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Among Different Therapeutic Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Am Med Assoc 2016;316:1289–1297. Available at: 10.1001/jama.2016.13985. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Wong ND, Zhao Y, Quek RGW, Blumenthal RS, Budoff MJ, Cushman M, Garg P, Sandfort V, Tsai M, Lopez JAG. Residual atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in statin-treated adults: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. J Clin Lipidol 2017;11:1223–1233. Available at: 10.1016/j.jacl.2017.06.015. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Shah NP, Pajidipati NJ, McGarrah RW, Navar AM, Vemulapalli S, Blazing MA, Shah SH, Hernandez AF, Patel MR. Lipoprotein (a): An Update on a Marker of Residual Risk and Associated Clinical Manifestations. Amer J Cardiol 2020;126:94–102. Available at: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2020.03.043. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Stubbs P, Seed M, Lane D, Collinson P, Kendall F, Noble M. Lipoprotein(a) as a risk predictor for cardiac mortality in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Eur Heart J 1998;19:1355–1364. Available at: 10.1053/euhj.1998.1043. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Gurdasani D, Sjouke B, Tsimikas S, Hovingh GK, Luben RN, Wainwright NWJ, Pomilla C, Wareham NJ, Khaw KT, Boekholdt SM, Sandhu MS. Lipoprotein(a) and risk of coronary, cerebrovascular, and peripheral artery disease: The EPIC-norfolk prospective population study. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2012;32:3058–3065. Available at: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.112.255521. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Kamstrup PR, Tybjærg-Hansen A, Nordestgaard BG. Elevated Lipoprotein(a) and Risk of Aortic Valve Stenosis in the General Population. J Am Coll Cardiol 2014;63:470–477. Available at: 10.1016/j.jacc.2013.09.038. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Thanassoulis G, Campbell CY, Owens DS, Smith JG, Smith AV, Peloso GM, Kerr KF, Pechlivanis S, Budoff MJ, Harris TB, Malhotra R, O’Brien KD, Kamstrup PR, Nordestgaard BG, Tybjaerg-Hansen A, Allison MA, Aspelund T, Criqui MH, Heckbert SR, Hwang SJ, Liu Y, Sjogren M, van der Pals J, Kälsch H, Mühleisen TW, Nöthen MM, Cupples LA, Caslake M, Di Angelantonio E, Danesh J, Rotter JI, Sigurdsson S, Wong Q, Erbel R, Kathiresan S, Melander O, Gudnason V, O’Donnell CJ, Post WS; CHARGE Extracoronary Calcium Working Group. Genetic Associations with Valvular Calcification and Aortic Stenosis. N Engl J Med 2024;368:503–512. Available at: 10.1056/NEJMoa1109034. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Langsted A, Kamstrup PR, Benn M, Tybjærg-Hansen A, Nordestgaard BG. High lipoprotein(a) as a possible cause of clinical familial hypercholesterolaemia: a prospective cohort study. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2016;4:577–587. Available at: 10.1016/S2213-8587(16)30042-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Tsimikas S A Test in Context: Lipoprotein(a): Diagnosis, Prognosis, Controversies, and Emerging Therapies. J Am Coll Cardiol 2017;69:692–711. Available at: 10.1016/j.jacc.2016.11.042. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.Grundy SM, Stone NJ, Bailey AL, Beam C, Birtcher KK, Blumenthal RS, Braun LT, Ferraanti S de, Faiella-Tommasino J, Forman DE, Goldberg R, Heidenreich PA, Hlatky MA, Jones DW, Lloyd-Jones, Lopez-Pajares N, Ndumele CE, Orringer CE, Peralta CA, Saseen JJ, Smith SC, Sperling L, Virani SS, Yeboah. 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation 2019;139:e1082–e1143. Available at: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000625. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 12.Fernández-Ruiz I AKCEA-APO(a)-LRx lowers Lp(a) levels in patients. Nat Rev Cardiol 2020;17:132–132. Available at: 10.1038/s41569-020-0336-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Wei T, Cho L. Recent lipoprotein(a) trials. Curr Opin Lipidol 2022;33:301–308. Available at: 10.1097/MOL.0000000000000856. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 14.Viney NJ, Capelleveen, Geary RS, Xia S, Tami JA, Yu RZ, Marcovina SM, Hughes SG, Graham MJ, Crooke RM, Crooke ST, Witztum JL, Stroes ES, Tsimikas S. Antisense oligonucleotides targeting apolipoprotein(a) in people with raised lipoprotein(a): two randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging trials. Lancet 2016;388:2239–2253. Available at: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31009-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Douglas PS, Hoffmann U, Lee KL, Mark DB, Al-Khalidi HR, Anstrom K, Dolor RJ, Kosinski A, Krucoff MW, Mudrick DW, Patel MR, Picard MH, Udelson JE, Velazquez EJ, Cooper L. PROspective Multicenter Imaging Study for Evaluation of chest pain: Rationale and design of the PROMISE trial. Am Heart J 2014;167:796–803.e1. Available at: 10.1016/j.ahj.2014.03.003. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 16.Douglas PS, Hoffmann U, Patel MR, Mark DB, Al-Khalidi HR, Cavanaugh B, Cole J, Dolor RJ, Fordyce CB, Huang M, Khan MA, Kosinski AS, Krucoff MW, Malhotra V, Picard MH, Udelson JE, Velazquez EJ, Yow E, Cooper LS, Lee KL. Outcomes of anatomical versus functional testing for coronary artery disease. N Engl J Med 2015;372:1291–1300. Available at: 10.1056/NEJMOA1415516. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 17.Huded CP, Shah NP, Puri R, Nicholls SJ, Wolski K, Nissen SE, Cho L. Association of Serum Lipoprotein (a) Levels and Coronary Atheroma Volume by Intravascular Ultrasound. J Am Heart Assoc 2020;9:e018023. Available at: [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 18.Shui X, Wen Z, Chen Z, Xie X, Wu Y, Zheng B, Wu Z, Chen L. Elevated serum lipoprotein(a) is significantly associated with angiographic progression of coronary artery disease. Clin Cardiol 2021;44:1551–1559. Available at: [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 19.van Dam-Nolen DHK, van Dijk AC, Crombag GAJC, Lucci C, Kooi, Hendrikse, Nederkoorn PJ, Daemen MJAP, van der Steen AFW, Koudstaal PJ, Kronenberg F, Roeters van Lennep JE, Mulder MT, van der Lugt A. Lipoprotein(a) levels and atherosclerotic plaque characteristics in the carotid artery: The Plaque at RISK (PARISK) study. Atherosclerosis 2021;329:22–29. Available at: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2021.06.004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 20.Hippe DS, Phan BAP, Sun J, Isquith DA, O’Brien KD, Crouse JR, Anderson T, Huston J, Marcovina SM, Hatsukami TS, Yuan C, Zhao X-Q. Lp(a) (Lipoprotein(a)) Levels Predict Progression of Carotid Atherosclerosis in Subjects With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease on Intensive Lipid Therapy. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2018;38:673–678. Available at: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.117.310368. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 21.Kronenberg F, Kronenberg MF, Kiechl S, Trenkwalder E, Santer P, Oberhollenzer F, Egger G, Utermann G, Willeit J. Role of Lipoprotein(a) and Apolipoprotein(a) Phenotype in Atherogenesis. Circulation 1999;100:1154–1160. Available at: 10.1161/01.CIR.100.11.1154. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 22.Maher VMG, Brown BG, Marcovina SM, Hillger LA, Zhao X-Q, Albers JJ. Effects of Lowering Elevated LDL Cholesterol on the Cardiovascular Risk of Lipoprotein(a). J Am Med Assoc 1995;274:1771–1774. Available at: 10.1001/jama.1995.03530220037029. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 23.Dai N, Chen Z, Zhou F, Zhou Y, Hu N, Duan S, Wang W, Yu Y, Zhang L, Qian J, Ge J. Association of Lipoprotein (a) With Coronary-Computed Tomography Angiography–Assessed High-Risk Coronary Disease Attributes and Cardiovascular Outcomes. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2022;15:e014611. Available at: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.122.014611. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 24.Muramatsu Y, Minami Y, Kato A, Katsura A, Sato T, Kakizaki R, Nemoto T, Hashimoto T, Fujiyoshi K, Meguro K, Shimohama T, Ako J. Lipoprotein (a) level is associated with plaque vulnerability in patients with coronary artery disease: An optical coherence tomography study. Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc2019;24:100382. Available at: 10.1016/j.ijcha.2019.100382. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Associated Data

This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

Supplementary Materials

1

Data Availability Statement

PROMISE data sets are available at https://biolincc.nhlbi.nih.gov/studies/promise. There are no commercial use data restrictions, and no data restrictions based on area of research.

RESOURCES