Lipoprotein(a)
Lp(a) is a cholesterol-carrying particle in your blood that can damage your arteries and trigger a heart attack or stroke. Your Lp(a) level is largely inherited, and high Lp(a) may be the single most common inherited cause of heart attacks and strokes.
Reviewed by Swiss physicians
Personal action plan
Interactive report
Safe, simple, one blood draw
- No radiation or contrast dye
- No extra appointment, part of your blood draw
- One test, a number that holds for life
- Reviewed by leading Swiss physicians
- Health areasHeart, Genetics, Lipid Metabolism
- Time neededIncluded in blood draw, no extra time
- RadiationNone at all
- Contrast dyeNone at all
- PreparationNo fasting needed for Lp(a). As an add-on, follow your main blood test's fasting rules.
- For whomEvery adult once in life – especially with early heart disease or stroke in the family
What Lp(a) is
A risk factor hiding in plain sight
1 in 5
people carry elevated Lp(a), and most never find out, because no standard test looks for it.
Genetic and lifelong
Set by your DNA. Diet, exercise and most lifestyle changes barely move it.
Invisible to standard panels
It needs its own specific test. A normal cholesterol result tells you nothing about it.
Measured once
Levels stay stable for life, so a single test gives you a number you can keep.
An independent risk factor
It raises your risk on its own, stacking on top of cholesterol and blood pressure.
Why it matters
What elevated Lp(a) is associated with
High Lp(a) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, on top of whatever your cholesterol and blood pressure are doing.
Heart attack
Associated with the plaque build-up in the arteries around the heart.
Ischaemic stroke
Linked to the clots that can reduce blood flow to the brain.
Aortic valve stenosis
Associated with calcification of the heart's main outflow valve.
Peripheral artery disease
Associated with narrowing of the arteries in the legs and elsewhere.
Why standard tests miss it
Your cholesterol can look perfect, while there may still be a risk
LDL, HDL and total cholesterol respond to diet, statins and lifestyle, so they are what a standard panel tracks. Diet, exercise and statins do not lower Lp(a); some specialist medicines lower it modestly. It is set by your genes, so it sits outside the standard panel and goes unmeasured, even when everything else comes back normal. Knowing it helps your doctor set your LDL target.
Cholesterol, total
Cholesterol, total
HDL cholesterol
HDL cholesterol
Non-HDL cholesterol
Non-HDL cholesterol
Lipoprotein(a)
Lipoprotein(a)
Cholesterol, total
Cholesterol, total
HDL cholesterol
HDL cholesterol
Non-HDL cholesterol
Non-HDL cholesterol
Lipoprotein(a)
Lipoprotein(a)
What you gain
You cannot change Lp(a). You can change what you do about it.
A high result does not leave you stuck. It recalibrates your whole risk picture and sharpens every decision you and your doctor make next.
Push harder on what you can move
Tighten the targets that do respond, like LDL and blood pressure, to offset the inherited risk.
Open the door to specialist care
A clear elevated result is the trigger for specialist review, as new Lp(a)-lowering therapies are being developed.
Flag it for your family
Lp(a) is inherited, so your result is a reason for first-degree relatives to test too.
Give your doctor real context
The number lets your clinician read your overall cardiac risk correctly.
How it works
From booking to your number in days
Step 01
Book online
Choose the Advanced blood test and add Lp(a) at the add-on step.
Step 02
A five-minute blood draw
Visit a partner lab near you. No special preparation needed.
Step 03
Your clear digital report
See your Lp(a) level, what band it falls in, and exactly what to do next.
Ahead membership
Recurring care
An annual membership built for tracking: the full 80+ biomarker blood test each year, follow-up tests in between, doctor-reviewed reports with an action plan, and member pricing on every scan and add-on.
One-off blood test
A single test to set your baseline · 15 min
A comprehensive blood panel of 80 biomarkers covering cardiovascular risk, liver and kidney function, immune status, inflammation, and Vitamin D. Designed to go deeper than a standard check-up.
Lipoprotein(a)
Know your number once. Carry it for life.
Add Lp(a) to your Advanced blood test and uncover the inherited heart risk a standard panel leaves out.
