Perrot N, et al. - In this genetic association study, researchers examined the links of LPA variants with calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS) in a cohort of patients having heart surgery and LPA with CAVS in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) vs those without CAD. They also looked for the presence of any evidence of aortic valve microcalcification in first-degree relatives of patients with CAVS and high lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) levels. Findings revealed a link between a genetically elevated Lp(a) level and CAVS, which was independent of the presence of CAD. The likelihood of having calcific aortic valve stenosis or aortic valve microcalcification was higher in first-degree relatives of patients with calcific aortic valve stenosis and high Lp(a) levels. In this study, Lp(a) was identified as an independent risk factor for calcific aortic valve stenosis, as was the possible utility of using it for detecting those at risk of developing this condition.