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Doctors Urge Adults To Get Tested For Lipoprotein(a), The ‘Sneaky’ Cholesterol Tied To Heart Risk Now

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Cardiologists are urging adults to ask their doctors about a blood test that most people have never heard of, one that measures a genetically inherited form of cholesterol linked to heart attacks and strokes but left off the standard lipid panel most patients receive at routine checkups.

The substance, known as lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a distinct cholesterol particle that circulates in the bloodstream and functions as a major independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, according to Ryan Smith, a cardiologist at Orlando Health Heart and Vascular Institute. Unlike LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, the three markers typically included in a standard lipid panel, Lp(a) is not part of routine bloodwork, meaning many people go years, or a lifetime, without knowing their level.

That gap in testing has drawn increasing attention from the medical community. In March, a coalition of medical organizations, including the American Heart Association, released updated cholesterol management guidelines recommending, for the first time, that every adult be tested for Lp(a) at least once in their lifetime. The test can be ordered by a primary care physician as an addition to a standard lipid profile or other routine bloodwork, and it is now largely covered by major insurance plans, removing what had previously been a financial barrier for many patients.

Roughly one in five people have an elevated Lp(a) level, according to figures cited by cardiologists, and like other forms of high cholesterol, it typically produces no symptoms until it contributes to a blockage that triggers a heart attack or stroke. An Lp(a) level above 125 nanomoles per liter, sometimes measured as 50 milligrams per deciliter, has been shown to raise the risk of heart disease and stroke, with that risk potentially doubling at levels around 250 nanomoles per liter, or 100 milligrams per deciliter.

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Lp(a) poses a particular danger because of its molecular structure. Much like excess LDL cholesterol, elevated Lp(a) can accumulate in the arteries and contribute to atherosclerosis, a narrowing of blood vessels that restricts blood flow to vital organs. But because Lp(a) carries an additional protein component called apolipoprotein A, it tends to be stickier and more prone to forming fatty plaques than LDL cholesterol, according to Smith. The particle can also interfere with the body’s natural clot-breakdown process, potentially increasing the likelihood of blood clots, and it carries pro-inflammatory molecules that can damage the aortic valve and contribute to arterial hardening over time.

For decades, Lp(a) testing was left out of standard cholesterol guidance largely because there was little clarity on what patients or doctors could actually do about an elevated result, according to Jeffrey Berger, director of the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at NYU Langone Heart. Researchers still do not know definitively whether lowering Lp(a) levels reduces cardiovascular risk, though Berger said ongoing research and drug trials increasingly point toward that possibility. Because Lp(a) levels are driven almost entirely by genetics, they generally do not respond to the lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, that can meaningfully lower other types of cholesterol.

Even without a clear treatment pathway, physicians say the case for testing has become increasingly clear. Berger said a growing body of evidence has repeatedly shown how elevated Lp(a) raises the likelihood of a cardiac event, making it important for patients to know whether they carry the genetic risk factor so they can more aggressively manage the cardiovascular risks that are modifiable.

Certain populations face a higher likelihood of elevated Lp(a) levels, given the trait’s strong genetic basis. People of African or South Asian descent tend to show the highest rates, followed by white, Hispanic and East Asian populations, according to cardiologists. The American Heart Association specifically recommends testing for anyone with a family history of high Lp(a), a personal or family history of early cardiovascular disease, defined as before age 55 in men and before 65 in women, and those with familial hypercholesterolemia, an inherited condition that causes elevated LDL levels.

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For most people, a single Lp(a) test provides a reliable, lifelong measure of risk, since the level typically remains stable over time, Smith said. Exceptions include people with thyroid disorders, a kidney condition called nephrotic syndrome, certain acute inflammatory conditions, and those who are pregnant or in menopause, all of which can temporarily elevate Lp(a) readings. Once those conditions resolve or are treated, Lp(a) levels generally return to their genetic baseline.

Because no treatments currently exist that meaningfully lower Lp(a) on their own, doctors recommend that people with elevated levels focus on aggressively managing other cardiovascular risk factors, particularly blood pressure, blood sugar and LDL cholesterol. Research suggests that lowering LDL by an additional 20 milligrams per deciliter or more below the standard target of 100 milligrams per deciliter can help offset some of the added risk associated with high Lp(a). The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, a diet rich in plant-based foods, avoiding smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting seven to nine hours of sleep nightly as foundational steps for cholesterol management.

Patients with high Lp(a) are often prescribed statins to more aggressively lower LDL cholesterol, and some physicians may add ezetimibe, a non-statin medication that blocks cholesterol absorption in the small intestine and can modestly reduce Lp(a) as well. Others may prescribe a PCSK-9 inhibitor, a class of drug that helps the liver clear LDL cholesterol from the blood and may offer a modest reduction in Lp(a) levels; a newly approved oral version of the drug has shown efficacy comparable to the injectable PCSK-9 inhibitors already available.

Looking ahead, a new class of medications currently in late-stage clinical trials is designed to directly target the RNA responsible for producing lipoprotein(a) in the body. Early data suggests these drugs can meaningfully lower Lp(a) levels, though it remains unclear whether that reduction will translate into fewer heart attacks and strokes.

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For now, physicians say the priority is simply raising awareness of the test itself. Smith said Lp(a) should be viewed as one piece of a broader conversation with a doctor about overall cardiovascular risk, one best raised as early as possible. “Prevention is really supreme in our field,” he said.

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Nvidia: Buy Before Q2 Shows The AI Factory Trade Is Still Early (Upgrade) (NASDAQ:NVDA)

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Nvidia: Buy The Dip

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I’m a retail investor based in Sydney with three years of experience focusing on achieving financial independence through strategic investments in AI-driven companies. Although I don’t come from a traditional finance background, I’ve developed a strong passion for understanding how artificial intelligence is transforming the global economy. Over the past few years, I’ve become increasingly fascinated by the possibilities of AI—how it’s reshaping industries, driving innovation, and creating new investment frontiers. My portfolio is primarily centered around leading AI-related companies such as NVIDIA and others at the forefront of this technological revolution. I believe we’re only in the early stages of AI’s impact, and the coming decade will present remarkable opportunities for both retail and institutional investors. My goal is to continue learning, sharing insights, and building long-term wealth by investing in the technologies shaping our future.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of NVDA either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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Post narrows outlook after mixed third quarter

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Post narrows outlook after mixed third quarter

Core Post Consumer Brands unit lifted by 8th Avenue acquisition.

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Nasdaq 100’s QQQ ETF Holds Near Record High As Wall Street Awaits Key Inflation Data This Coming Week

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Nasdaq 100's QQQ ETF Holds Near Record High As Wall

The Invesco QQQ Trust, the widely held exchange-traded fund that tracks the Nasdaq-100 index, held steady near record territory Monday as investors moved cautiously into a week packed with corporate earnings and inflation data that could shape the Federal Reserve’s next policy move.

The fund traded at $723.79 as of 10:39 a.m. Eastern time, up 76 cents, or 0.11%, after opening the session at $720.15. Shares moved within a narrow range of $716.51 to $723.63 during the morning, holding well within reach of the fund’s 52-week high of $748.65, a level reached earlier this year. QQQ’s 52-week low sits at $555.60, underscoring the scale of the fund’s advance over the past year, with the ETF up roughly 25.84% over the trailing 12 months. The fund, which has a market capitalization of nearly $703 billion, seeks to replicate the performance of the Nasdaq-100 by holding the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq exchange.

Monday’s muted trading followed a strong finish to last week, when major U.S. indexes climbed to fresh records after a weaker-than-expected July jobs report reshaped expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate policy. The S&P 500 closed at a record 7,758 on Friday, up 0.6%, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.3% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 152 points, or 0.28%. The rally came after the Labor Department reported that nonfarm payrolls unexpectedly fell by 23,000 for the month, while the unemployment rate and labor force participation rate both declined, a combination that eased concerns about labor market strength fueling further inflation pressure and reduced expectations that the Federal Reserve would need to raise rates at its next meeting.

Friday’s gains were led by technology and industrial names, with Salesforce rising 2.47%, Nvidia climbing 2.33% and Honeywell International adding 2.28%, according to market data. Declines were concentrated in a smaller group of stocks, with Visa, Chevron and Caterpillar among the session’s biggest laggards, falling 2.20%, 1.49% and 1.46%, respectively.

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Heading into this week, investor attention has shifted toward the release of the latest Consumer Price Index reading, scheduled for Wednesday, which is expected to offer fresh insight into the inflation outlook and could influence the Federal Reserve’s approach at its upcoming policy meeting. With last week’s jobs data already having shifted market expectations toward a more cautious central bank, Wednesday’s inflation figures are likely to be closely scrutinized for any signs that could either reinforce or challenge that shift.

Corporate earnings are also set to remain a major focus this week, with several prominent artificial intelligence-linked companies scheduled to report results, including Applied Materials, Cisco and CoreWeave. Given the heavy weighting of technology and AI-related companies within the Nasdaq-100 index, and by extension within QQQ’s holdings, this week’s earnings reports are likely to have an outsized influence on the fund’s performance in the days ahead.

Broader market sentiment Monday was also shaped by developments in the Middle East, where investors have been closely tracking tensions tied to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for global oil shipments. Iran signaled over the weekend that a deal to reopen the strait to shipping traffic was “very close,” helping push oil prices higher during Monday’s session. Global benchmark Brent crude futures traded near $85 per barrel, reflecting continued uncertainty around the situation even as hopes for a resolution appeared to grow. The major U.S. equity indexes remained largely muted for much of Monday’s session even as oil prices rose, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipping slightly, the Nasdaq Composite roughly flat, and the S&P 500 edging modestly higher, leaving investors in what market commentary described as a wait-and-see posture ahead of this week’s data.

QQQ’s holdings remain heavily concentrated in a small number of mega-cap technology companies that have driven much of the fund’s performance over the past year, including major players in artificial intelligence infrastructure, cloud computing and semiconductor manufacturing. The fund’s composition is adjusted periodically by its adviser to reflect changes in the underlying Nasdaq-100 index, ensuring that its holdings and weightings continue to track the index as company valuations and rankings shift over time.

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Since its launch in March 1999, QQQ has grown into one of the most widely traded exchange-traded funds in the world, frequently used by both retail and institutional investors as a vehicle for gaining broad exposure to large-cap growth and technology stocks. The fund’s heavy weighting toward technology has made it especially sensitive to swings in sentiment around artificial intelligence spending, semiconductor demand and interest rate expectations, all of which have been recurring themes driving market volatility throughout 2026.

With the fund trading just below its all-time high heading into a week filled with potentially market-moving data, analysts say the coming days could prove pivotal in determining whether QQQ and the broader Nasdaq-100 can push through to fresh records or face renewed pressure if inflation data or corporate earnings fail to meet elevated expectations. For now, Monday’s calm trading reflected a market largely in a holding pattern, with investors positioning cautiously ahead of catalysts that could reshape the near-term outlook for both interest rates and the technology sector that has powered much of this year’s gains

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McDonald’s US business ‘slowed significantly’ during quarter

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McDonald’s US business ‘slowed significantly’ during quarter

Company says too many promotions and menu changes hindered store execution.  

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Archer Aviation shares jump nearly 10% on deal to acquire Boeing’s Wisk, two other units

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Archer Aviation shares jump nearly 10% on deal to acquire Boeing’s Wisk, two other units
Archer Aviation shares jumped nearly 10% on Monday after the air-taxi maker agreed to acquire Boeing’s electric aircraft business Wisk Aero and two other units in exchange for a nearly 20% stake in Archer, Reuters reported.

The stock opened at $6.41 and traded between $6.08 and $6.87 during the session, climbing as much as 14% in morning trading.

The deal also includes drone manufacturer Insitu and airspace-services provider SkyGrid, giving Archer access to Boeing’s autonomous-flight technology and potentially strengthening its position in defence and commercial logistics.

Boeing will receive a 19.75% stake in Archer and the right to appoint a director to its board. It will also retain access to Wisk’s technology for its commercial and defence aircraft programmes, Reuters reported.

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For Boeing, the divestments mark another step towards simplifying its portfolio, focusing on its core commercial-aircraft and defence businesses and scaling back its air-taxi ambitions.


Archer, which has yet to generate significant revenue from its core business, will acquire Insitu, a profitable defence company with annual revenue of more than $200 million.
Archer CEO Adam Goldstein told Reuters that the deal would allow the company to “start generating significant revenue immediately in a major growth market.”He added that demand for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance drones was likely at a record high, creating a major opportunity for an established business already generating revenue and cash flow.

Wisk has been developing a self-flying electric passenger aircraft. However, despite years of investment and ambitious projections, the electric vertical take-off and landing, or eVTOL, industry has yet to demonstrate that air taxis can secure certification, achieve large-scale production and operate at prices affordable to mainstream customers.

As commercial launches take longer than expected, eVTOL companies are increasingly targeting military, cargo and government applications to generate near-term revenue and secure funding.

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Trump says he spoke with Fed’s Warsh last week

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Trump says he spoke with Fed’s Warsh last week

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Nvidia, Wall Street asset managers partner on $500B AI push

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Nvidia, Wall Street asset managers partner on $500B AI push

NVIDIA Corp. CEO Jensen Huang speaks during a joint press conference with representatives of Fujitsu Ltd., FANUC Corp. YASKAWA Electric Corp. and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. on July 16, 2026, in Tokyo, Japan.

Tomohiro Ohsumi | Getty Images

Nvidia is working with some of Wall Street’s largest asset management firms on a $500 billion effort to finance artificial intelligence infrastructure, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC Monday.

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The chipmaker has enlisted Apollo Global Management, Blackstone, BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners unit, Brookfield Asset Management, Goldman Sachs and KKR to assemble the capital package, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

An announcement could be made as soon as Monday, the person said. The Financial Times first reported the deal.

The move highlights the growing role of private capital in financing the costs of the artificial intelligence boom. For Nvidia, the effort could help its biggest customers secure the financing needed to buy its high-end GPUs, build power-hungry data centers and lock in long-term electricity capacity.

Alternative asset managers have been eager to deploy capital into digital infrastructure, tapping institutional and insurance capital to finance projects. Apollo and Blackstone, among others, have already structured debt and equity financing for companies including Anthropic as AI companies deal with large capital expenditure requirements.

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Representatives for Nvidia, Apollo, Blackstone, Brookfield, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs and KKR did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

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Citizens & Northern director Katherine Shattuck buys $201 in stock

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Citizens & Northern director Katherine Shattuck buys $201 in stock

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The Fed’s PCE Problem: Why Its Preferred Inflation Gauge Misreads The Economy

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The Fed's PCE Problem: Why Its Preferred Inflation Gauge Misreads The Economy

Infrastructure Capital Advisors (“Infrastructure Capital”) is a leading provider of investment management solutions designed to meet the needs of income-focused investors. Jay Hatfield is CEO and CIO of the investment team. Mr. Hatfield is the lead portfolio manager of the InfraCap Small Cap Income ETF (NYSE: SCAP), InfraCap Equity Income Fund ETF (NYSE: ICAP), InfraCap MLP ETF (NYSE: AMZA), Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (NYSE: PFFA), InfraCap REIT Preferred ETF (NYSE: PFFR), and a series of private accounts. Infrastructure Capital frequently appears on or is quoted in Fox Business, CNBC, Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, TD Ameritrade Network, and Bloomberg Radio/TV. The team at Infrastructure Capital publishes a monthly market and economic report, quarterly commentaries, investing primers, and asset class and strategy research. In addition, Infrastructure Capital hosts a monthly webinar and attends industry conferences in an effort to provide educational investing resources.

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JBS names Wesley Batista Filho as global CEO effective January

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JBS names Wesley Batista Filho as global CEO effective January

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