👤 Aase Handberg

Elevated plasma lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) (> 125 nmol/L) is highly prevalent and a causal risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) that may contribute significantly to plasma levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C). This study aimed to describe clinical characteristics across Lp(a) levels and to estimate the proportion of individuals with normal, moderately elevated, or elevated LDL-C earlier in life according to levels of Lp(a), to assess whether LDL-C levels are a reliable marker for an underlying elevated Lp(a) level. In this retrospective study, detailed information on clinical characteristics was collected through medical records, while biochemical data was retrieved from the North Denmark Region Clinical Laboratory System (LABKA) I and II between January 2021 and August 2024. A total of 1346 individuals were included of whom 28.5% had elevated Lp(a) levels ≥ 125 nmol/L. A history of ASCVD was found in 57.7% of patients with Lp(a) levels ≥ 400 nmol/L compared to 21.1% of patients with Lp(a) levels < 100 nmol/L and the median age of onset of ASCVD was 51 years and 56 years, respectively. Furthermore, in individuals with Lp(a) levels ≥ 300 nmol/L, we found that 7.6% had LDL-C < 3.0 mmol/L and 9.1% had LDL-C between 3.0 and 3.5 mmol/L when measured for the first time, respectively. This study highlights distinct clinical characteristics across Lp(a) levels. With increasing Lp(a) levels, the prevalence of ASCVD increased, while the age at onset of ASCVD decreased. Furthermore, we found that LDL-C within the normal range cannot be used to rule out highly elevated Lp(a) levels. Show less

Regular exercise plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D). The synthesis and secretion of myokines in response to contraction may contribute to the beneficial metabolic effects of exercise. However, some exercise-induced responses may be attenuated in T2D. Here, we investigated whether the effect of acute exercise on selected myokines are impaired in T2D. Skeletal muscle biopsies and blood samples were obtained from 13 men with T2D and 14 weight-matched, glucose-tolerant men before, immediately after and 3-h after acute exercise (60 min cycling) to examine muscle expression and plasma/serum levels of selected myokines. One-hour of exercise increased muscle expression of IL6, FGF21, ANGPTL4, CHI3L1, CTGF and CYR61, of which FGF21, ANGPTL4 and CHI3L1 increased further 3-h into recovery, whereas expression of IL6, CYR61, and CTGF returned to baseline levels. There was no immediate effect of exercise on IL15 expression, but it decreased 3-h into recovery. Plasma IL-6 increased robustly, whereas circulating levels of FGF21, ANGPTL4, IL-15, and CHI3L1 increased only modestly in response to exercise. All returned toward baseline levels 3-h into recovery except for plasma ANGPTL4, which increased further. No significant differences in these responses to exercise were observed between the groups. Our results demonstrate that muscle expression and circulating levels of selected known and putative myokines were equally regulated by acute exercise in patients with T2D and weight-matched controls. This suggests that the potential beneficial metabolic effects of these myokines are not impaired in patients with T2D. Show less