Serum lipoprotein(a) level as long-term predictor of cardiovascular mortality in a large sample of subjects in primary cardiovascular prevention: data from the Brisighella Heart Study.

Background: High lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels have been re-evaluated as an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular diseases.

Methods: We assessed whether serum Lp(a) levels can significantly influence long-term survival in subjects with an equal general cardiovascular (CV) risk profile. We prospectively evaluated a sample of 1215 adult subjects from the Brisighella Heart Study cohort (M: 608; F: 607; aged 40-69) who had no cardiovascular disease at enrolment.