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Lipoprotein(a) has been shown to be associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases for decades. However, only recent research revealed more about its physiological function and its role in the development of cardiovascular diseases. The authors summarize the physiological role of lipoprotein(a), causes and treatment of elevated lipoprotein(a) level, and the association between lipoprotein(a) and cardiovascular diseases.

Our clinical trial was set out to estimate the apoE allele frequency by way of polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme isoform genotyping amongst 81 obese, hyperlipoproteinemic patients (treated with gemfibrozil + diet). The relative frequencies of the E2, E3, E4 alleles were 0.28, 0.61, 0.11 respectively (according to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium). Phenotypes with increased triglycerides levels were dominant in both sexes: IV + V > II/B > II/A (44.4%, 39.5%, 16.0%). Therapy significantly decreased the atherogen lipid values with differing efficacy among each genotype group: E3 > E4 > E2. Our findings demonstrate that in the II/A group there was no great change using the gemfibrozil + diet combination: whereas in IV + V group this combination was effective in each apoE isoform. In the case of II/B it is highly important to determine the apoE genotypes, because the therapy is only efficacious in the E33 group taking all lipid parameters into consideration.