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Lipoprotein(a) and cardiovascular risk factors in a cohort of 6-year-old children. The Rivas-Vaciamadrid Study
Angel Gonzalez-Requejo1, Marciano Sanchez-Bayle, Consuelo Ruiz-Jarabo
1Primary Care Centre Rivas, Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Spain. angelgrequejo@terra.es
Insights
High lipoprotein(a) levels in 6-year-olds are linked to a family history of stroke and heart disease in grandparents. These elevated levels also correlate with higher cholesterol and apolipoprotein B.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Lipid Metabolism
- Genetics of Cardiovascular Disease
Background:
- Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is an emerging risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Understanding early life determinants of Lp(a) levels is crucial for cardiovascular risk assessment.
- Family history is a significant, yet often understudied, predictor of cardiovascular risk in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distribution of Lp(a) in a cohort of 6-year-old Spanish children.
- To examine the association between Lp(a) levels and lipid profiles.
- To determine the relationship between Lp(a) and a family history of cardiovascular disease in grandparents.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study of 673 Spanish children aged 6 years.
- Measurement of serum lipoprotein(a) levels.
- Analysis of lipid profiles, including total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B.
- Assessment of family history of stroke and coronary heart disease in grandparents.
Main Results:
- Lp(a) levels were highly skewed and did not differ significantly by sex or anthropometric variables.
- Children with a family history of stroke had significantly higher Lp(a) levels (median 13 mg/dl vs. 9 mg/dl, P=0.02).
- A family history of coronary heart disease was also associated with higher Lp(a) levels (median 14 mg/dl vs. 8 mg/dl, P=0.03).
- Children with Lp(a) levels >30 mg/dl showed significantly higher total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B levels compared to those with Lp(a) <30 mg/dl.
Conclusions:
- High lipoprotein(a) levels in young children are associated with a family history of cerebrovascular and coronary disease in their grandparents.
- Elevated Lp(a) in children is linked to unfavorable lipid profiles, specifically higher levels of LDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B.
- These findings highlight the importance of early cardiovascular risk factor screening, considering genetic predisposition.
Unlabelled:
We have studied the distribution of lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) and its relation to lipid profiles and a family history of cardiovascular disease in grandparents in a cohort of 673 6-year-old Spanish children. Lp(a) levels were highly skewed, showed no differences between sexes and had no relevant relations with anthropometric variables. When compared with children without a family history of stroke, children with a family history of this disorder showed significantly higher levels of Lp(a) (median 13 mg/dl, range 2-110 mg/dl versus 9 mg/dl, range 2-120 mg/dl, P=0.02). Also the percentage of children with a family history of stroke was higher in the group of children with Lp(a) levels above 30 mg/dl than in the group who exhibited lower levels (20.9% versus 10.4%, P=0.002). Children with a family history of coronary heart disease had higher levels of Lp(a) than children without such history (median 14 mg/dl, range 2-120 mg/dl versus 8 mg/dl, range 2-62 mg/dl, P=0.03). Finally, when compared with children with Lp(a) levels <30 mg/dl, those with Lp(a) levels above 30 mg/dl showed significantly higher mean levels of total cholesterol (174.9 versus 169.4 mg/dl, P<0.05), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (109.1 versus 102.4 mg/dl, P<0.05), and apolipoprotein B (81.9 versus 74.6 mg/dl, P<0.05).
Conclusion:
Our study shows the existence of an association between high levels of lipoprotein (a) in 6 year-old children and a family history of both cerebrovascular and coronary disease in grandparents. High levels of lipoprotein (a) were also associated with high levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B.
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