Heterogeneity in Lipoprotein(a) Profile Changes Across the Menopausal Transition

Menopause may coincide with rising Lp(a) levels, a causal risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Characterizing changes in Lp(a) across menopause may inform risk stratification and testing recommendations. .

We examined changes in serum Lp(a) levels by menopausal status among women with Lp(a) measured at visits 1 and 2 in the UK Biobank. Lp(a) analyses were examined by menopausal status: those who underwent menopause (N=415), those who remained premenopausal (N=532), and those who remained postmenopausal (N=3,615) between visits. We examined the change in Lp(a) between visits stratified by visit 1 Lp(a) levels. The primary outcome was incident Lp(a) ≥125 nmol/L at visit 2, estimated using Poisson regression with adjustment for baseline age.

Data were available for 4,562 women (mean age at visit 1 = 57±7 years; median Lp(a) at visit 1 = 22 (IQR: 47) nmol/L; median time between visits = 4 (IQR: 1) years). At visit 1, median Lp(a) was slightly higher in postmenopausal women (23 nmol/L) than premenopausal women (19 nmol/L). Overall, median changes in Lp(a) between visits 1 and 2 were modest. Among women with intermediate visit 1 Lp(a) levels (75-125 nmol/L), those who transitioned through menopause experienced a median increase of 34.9 (-6.7, 53.0) nmol/L between visits, an approximately fourfold greater increase than for women who remained pre- (7.9 nmol/L) or postmenopausal (8.0 nmol/L). Further, 56% of women with intermediate visit 1 Lp(a) levels who transitioned through menopause between visits had incident Lp(a) ≥125 nmol/L at visit 2, compared with 29% and 28% of women who remained pre- or postmenopausal, representing an age-adjusted risk ratio of 2.26 (95% CI: 1.31, 3.90).

Relying on a single lifetime Lp(a) measurement may miss clinically relevant increases during menopause. Repeat testing in women as they age may improve identification of those at high risk for ASCVD.