Effect of lipid-lowering treatment on lipid and glycemic profile of patients with elevated lipoprotein(a) levels

Abstract

Aim: The evaluation of the effect of lipid-lowering treatment in patients with elevated levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)]. Material and methods: A prospective study including 70 patients with dyslipidemia and elevated Lp(a) levels (>30 mg/dL) attending a Lipid Clinic in Greece. Subjects were allocated to the following therapies according to the national guidelines for cholesterol management: high-intensity statin monotherapy (S; n=28), ezetimibe added to high-intensity statin (SE; n=31), and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor added to high-intensity statin plus ezetimibe (SEP; n=11). Follow-up duration was 3 months. We investigated the effect of these lipid-lowering interventions on participants’ lipidemic and glycemic profile. Comparisons between groups were adjusted for the baseline levels of the studied parameters. Results: Mean age was 51 ± 15 years, 40% were male, 39% were diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), 16% with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), while 36%, 33% and 15% were at very high, high, and moderate cardiovascular risk, respectively. All interventions significantly reduced apolipoprotein B (apoB), total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), but only PCSK9 inhibitors significantly reduced Lp(a) levels (SEP: -28% vs SE: +11% vs S: +17%, p<0.05). Patients in the SE group achieved the highest rates of LDL-C target attainment (SEP: 36.4% vs SE: 12.9% vs S: 3.6% for LDL-C <55 mg/dL; SEP: 36.4% vs SE: 16.1% vs S: 7.1% for LDL-C <70 mg/dL, p<0.05 for the comparison among groups). No significant effect on glycemic profile across treatment groups was noted. Conclusions: Add-on PCSK9 inhibitors were associated with the highest rates of LDL-C target achievement compared with high-intensity statin ± ezetimibe in high-risk patients with elevated Lp(a) and were the only class to significantly lower Lp(a) levels.