Lipoprotein(a) and Atrial Fibrillation: What Association?

Lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) has drawn increasing attention as a valuable indicator of risk for cardiovascular disease. It is both proatherosclerotic and prothrombotic and is causally linked to CHD in Mendelian randomization studies. Outside of atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis, Lp(a) is also associated with calcific aortic stenosis. While limited research suggests that Lp(A) levels are not associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), the biomarker's role as an independent risk factor for AfF remains unclear.The slides above highlight a study designed to evaulate the prospective relationship between Lp(a) and incident AF and  associations of Lp(a) levels and stroke in persons with or without AF. References 1. Virani SS, Brautbar A, Davis BC, et al. Associations between lipoprotein(a) levels and cardiovascular outcomes in black and white subjects: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Circulation. 2012;125:241–249.2. Aronis KN, Zhao D, Hoogeveen RC, et al. Associations of lipoprotein(a) levels with incident atrial fibrillation and ischemic stroke: the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2017;6. pii: e007372. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.117.007372.