Prevalence of elevated lipoprotein(a) in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease: Potential implications for...

Elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels are associated with increased cardiovascular risk and have been implicated in various inflammatory conditions. However, evidence regarding the role of Lp(a) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate Lp(a) levels in a group of patients with IBD.

A cross-sectional study was conducted involving patients with IBD actively followed by a multidisciplinary team. As part of routine care, patients with cardiovascular risk factors were systematically referred for comprehensive cardiology evaluation. For comparison, a control group matched for age and sex in a 2:1 ratio was randomly selected from the hospital database.

Seventy-eight patients with IBD and 156 controls (mean age 56.1 years; 59% male) were included. Among patients with IBD, 56.4% had ulcerative colitis and 43.6% Crohn's disease. The IBD group showed a non-significant trend toward higher Lp(a) levels compared to controls (median [IQR]: 19.1 [5.9-71.3] vs. 17.5 [7.0-39.0]mg/dL; p=0.274). A significantly greater proportion of IBD patients had high-risk Lp(a) levels (>50mg/dL) than controls (35.9% vs. 19.2%; p=0.02). Additionally, IBD patients with Lp(a)>50mg/dL exhibited a non-significant trend toward higher inflammatory marker values.

A substantial proportion of IBD patients exhibited elevated Lp(a) levels. Given its inflammatory, prothrombotic, and proatherogenic properties, Lp(a) may contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk observed in this population.