Insight into your Lp(a) level.
Lipoprotein(a) is a largely inherited lipid particle that plays a role in cardiovascular risk alongside your cholesterol. The level is essentially fixed in your genes, so a single measurement usually answers the question for years. Including personal explanation from our doctors.
Also known as: Lp(a), lipoprotein a, lipoprotein(a), apo(a)
Personal assessment by our BIG-registered doctors
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Background
What is lipoprotein(a)?
Lipoprotein(a), almost always shortened to Lp(a), is a lipid particle that travels through your blood. It closely resembles an LDL particle, the so-called "bad" cholesterol, but it carries an extra protein: apolipoprotein(a). That extra protein makes the particle behave differently. It can lodge in the artery wall and it is also linked to clotting and inflammation.
How much Lp(a) your body produces is largely written into your genes. Your level is therefore fairly stable throughout your life and barely moves with what you eat, how much you exercise, or how much you weigh. That makes Lp(a) a risk factor that sits alongside your cholesterol: someone with a perfectly good cholesterol profile can still have an elevated Lp(a). Because the level is stable, one measurement is usually enough. A doctor weighs that result within your overall risk picture, together with age, blood pressure, smoking, weight, and your family history.
In brief
One measurement
Lipoprotein(a) in the blood
Largely inherited
Written into your genes
Usually one-off
The level stays fairly stable
Alongside cholesterol
A risk factor in its own right
This marker is also included in
Testing several values in a single draw takes one blood collection and gives a more complete picture. The choice is yours.
Common reasons to test
When can insight into your Lp(a) be valuable?
Below are some situations in which measuring Lp(a) can provide insight.
With cardiovascular disease in the family
If a parent, brother, or sister had a heart attack or a stroke at a relatively young age, Lp(a) is one of the values that can say more about that.
When your cholesterol is fine but you still wonder
A favourable cholesterol profile does not rule out an elevated Lp(a). This measurement shows whether a hidden risk factor is still in play.
Once, and then you know
Because the level is inherited and barely changes, a single measurement is generally enough. Repeating it rarely adds anything.
As an addition to your lipid profile
Lp(a) takes on meaning next to total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. Many people therefore have it measured in the same blood draw.
With an inherited cholesterol condition
In families where familial hypercholesterolaemia is known, Lp(a) is more often mapped out as an additional inherited factor.
To prepare for a conversation
A result on paper makes the conversation with your GP about cardiovascular risk more concrete than an estimate.
What your result means
Lp(a) elevated: what does that mean?
Not every laboratory reports Lp(a) in the same unit: one measures in nanomoles per litre, another in milligrams per litre. Your result therefore always comes with the reference ranges of the laboratory that performed the test, and results from different laboratories cannot simply be placed side by side. Our doctor weighs your value within your overall risk profile.
A low value
A low Lp(a) means this inherited factor probably plays no additional role in your cardiovascular risk. That is reassuring for this one factor. It says nothing about your cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, or smoking, and those matter just as much.
A value within the reference ranges
If your Lp(a) falls within the laboratory reference ranges, this particle is not expected to add to your risk. Because the level is inherited and barely changes, you generally do not need to repeat the measurement. If you want to map out your cardiovascular risk further, a full lipid profile is the more obvious next step.
An elevated value
An elevated Lp(a) means you carry an extra, inherited risk factor alongside your cholesterol. We are honest about this: you will barely bring that value down with diet, exercise, or weight loss. What you can do is tackle everything else more firmly. Precisely with an elevated Lp(a), every gain on your LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, and smoking counts for more. Our doctor explains your result and indicates when discussing it with your GP is customary, certainly with cardiovascular disease at a young age in the family.
How we interpret your result
Our doctors assess your Lp(a) against the reference ranges and the unit of the laboratory, and place it in your personal context: age, family history, cholesterol profile, blood pressure, and lifestyle.
Related tests
Often combined with Lp(a).
A single marker gives one perspective. For a broader picture you can combine Lp(a) with a theme package or related markers.
+ €29 blood draw fee per orderFree from €225
Frequently asked questions
Everything you want to know
Why do I only need to measure Lp(a) once?
Your Lp(a) level is determined almost entirely by your genes and therefore stays fairly stable throughout your life. One measurement usually gives you the answer you are looking for. Only if your doctor sees reason for it, for example through new information from your family, can a second measurement be worthwhile.
Can I lower my Lp(a) with diet or exercise?
Barely. Lp(a) takes little notice of your eating pattern, your weight, or your training schedule. That does not mean lifestyle is irrelevant. With an elevated Lp(a) it is all the more important to keep your other risk factors as favourable as possible: your LDL cholesterol, your blood pressure, your blood sugar, your weight, and smoking.
What is the difference between Lp(a) and LDL cholesterol?
LDL cholesterol shows how much cholesterol sits inside your LDL particles and moves with your diet, your weight, and any medication. Lp(a) is a separate particle with an extra protein attached, is fixed in your genes, and barely changes. The two values complement each other, they do not replace each other.
Who is this test useful for?
Above all for people with cardiovascular disease in the family, certainly if a parent, brother, or sister had a heart attack or a stroke at a young age. People with a favourable cholesterol profile who want to know whether a hidden risk factor is still in play also have Lp(a) measured. If you have no particular risk factors, an ordinary cholesterol profile often already gives you the answer you are looking for.
Do I need to fast for an Lp(a) test?
For Lp(a) on its own you do not need to fast. If your triglycerides or a full cholesterol profile are measured in the same draw, a fasting sample may still be requested. Always follow the instruction you receive when booking your appointment.
What does Lp(a) cost separately, and what does it cost together with ApoB?
Lp(a) costs €49, plus a one-off €29 blood draw fee per order (waived from €225). If you also want apolipoprotein B measured, those two separately are €98 together. The Heart & Vessels Extra package contains both tests in a single blood draw for €89, so that saves you €9.
Is Lp(a) part of an ordinary blood test?
No. Lp(a) is not part of a standard cholesterol profile and is not routinely drawn at the GP either. It is a separate test that you request deliberately, usually because of your family history or as a deepening of your cholesterol values.
What do I do with my result?
You will receive a PDF report with your value and a doctor's explanation. What you do with it, such as discussing it with your GP, tackling your other risk factors, or taking no action, remains entirely your choice.
Can I share my report with my GP?
Yes, the report is written in medical language and contains all relevant laboratory information.
In the Health Guide
Read more about this value
Ready for insight into your Lp(a) level?
You receive your Lp(a) level including personal explanation from a doctor, typically within 2 working days. No referral required, with 800+ blood draw locations to choose from.
Order Lp(a) →Want to test multiple markers at once?
Combine Lp(a) with other markers via Bloodworks Select. The blood draw and collection fee is charged once per order, and is waived from €225.
49,-
+ €29 blood draw fee+ €29 blood draw fee per order