Unveiling patient profiles associated with elevated Lp(a) through an unbiased clustering analysis

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Clinical Biochemistry
• Population Health

Background:

• Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a recognized factor in cardiovascular disease.
• Understanding patient profiles associated with Lp(a) levels is crucial for risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct patient profiles based on demographic and clinical characteristics in a Portuguese cohort referred for Lp(a) measurement.
• To inform targeted screening and management strategies for elevated Lp(a).

Main Methods:

• Unsupervised clustering analysis of 661 Portuguese adults.
• Demographic and clinical indicators were used, excluding Lp(a) levels for unbiased cluster formation.

Main Results:

• Two clusters emerged: Cluster 1 (n=336) had significantly higher median Lp(a) levels and exceeded the risk threshold more frequently.
• Cluster 1 patients were older, predominantly male, with lower BMI, and higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia.
• Cluster 1 profile suggests a potential increased risk for cardiovascular complications.

Conclusions:

• Cluster analysis effectively identifies clinically meaningful patient profiles related to Lp(a).
• Proactive screening and management of Lp(a) are recommended, especially for individuals matching the Cluster 1 profile.
• This approach can aid in cardiovascular risk assessment and prevention.