Impact of High Lipoprotein(a) Levels on Clinical Outcomes Following Peripheral Endovascular Therapy

Elevated lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) levels are an independent risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic diseases, including peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, their prognostic impact in patients with PAD remains unknown.

The aim of this study was to examine the prognostic impact of elevated Lp(a) levels in patients with PAD undergoing endovascular therapy (EVT).

In total, 1,169 patients who underwent successful EVT for symptomatic PAD between September 2016 and August 2021 were included in this study. High Lp(a) levels were defined as >30 mg/dL. The associations of high Lp(a) levels with incident major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and stroke) and major adverse limb events (MALE) (repeat revascularization for target limb and major amputation) were analyzed.

During a median follow-up period of 1.7 years (IQR: 0.6-3.0 years), 230 MACE (210 deaths, 15 myocardial infarctions, and 22 strokes) and 263 MALE (219 reinterventions and 36 major amputations) were observed. The cumulative incidence rate of MACE (48.1% vs 27.3%) and MALE (67.9% vs 27.2%) was significantly higher in patients with high Lp(a) levels (P < 0.001 for both). The adjusted HR were 1.93 (95% CI: 1.44-2.59; P < 0.001) for MACE and 4.15 (95% CI: 3.14-5.50; P < 0.001) for MALE. These associations were not influenced by low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels or statin administration (P for interaction >0.05 for all).

Elevated Lp(a) levels were independently associated with incident MACE and MALE in patients with PAD treated with revascularization irrespective of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and statin administration.