Association of lipoprotein(a) with aortic dissection.

Background: Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is associated with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, aortic stenosis, stroke, and heart failure. We aimed to determine the relationship between Lp(a) and aortic dissection (AD).

Methods: Two hundred patients with AD were included in our case group. The control group consisted of 200 non-AD people who were age- (±5 years) and gender-matched to the case group. Data were collected retrospectively, including hypertension, smoking, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, Lp(a), total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The association between Lp(a) and AD was studied using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results: Patients with AD had greater median Lp(a) concentrations than non-AD people (152.50 vs. 81.75 mg/L). Lp(a) was associated with AD in a multivariate logistic regression analysis (odds ratio, 8.03; 95% confidence interval, 2.85-22.62), comparing those with Lp(a) quartile 4 with those with Lp(a) quartile 1. Stratified analysis showed that this relationship was observed in both men and women, as well as in older and younger individuals.

Conclusions: High levels of Lp(a) are strongly associated with AD, independent of other cardiovascular risk factors.