Lipoprotein(a): A Novel Risk Factor for Heart Failure and Biomarker of Prognosis? From Pathophysiology to Clinical Practice

Heart failure (HF) is one of the most difficult challenges in cardiology nowadays, constituting a significant global epidemiological, social and economic burden. For many years, there has been a search for new risk factors that predispose to the development of HF and biomarkers that could indicate HF patients with a poorer prognosis. Lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) is an estimated risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and aortic valve stenosis, but its causal role in HF has not been clearly defined yet. The results of the few studies regarding the influence of elevated Lp(a) on the development and course of HF are uncertain. However, most authors suggest that elevated Lp(a) increases the risk of HF and may correlate with a higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. The aim of this review is to present the current state of knowledge on the importance of the association between Lp(a) levels and HF, from pathophysiology to clinical practice including current management.