Prototypical Lipoprotein(a)

Here’s the prototypical male with lipoprotein(a):

Several features stand out in the majority of men with lipoprotein(a), Lp(a):

Slender–Sometimes absurdly so: BMIs of 21-23 are not uncommon. These are the people who claim they can’t gain weight.

Intelligent–Above average to way above average intelligence is the rule.

Gravitate to technical work–Plenty of engineers, scientists, accountants, and other people who work with numbers and/or technical details are more likely to have Lp(a).

Enjoy high levels of aerobic performance–I tell my Lp(a) patients that, if they want to see a bunch of other people with Lp(a), go to a marathon or triathlon. They’ll see plenty of people with the pattern among the aerobically-elite.

Are rabid fans of Star Trek.

Okay, I made the last one up. But the rest are uncannilly true, shared by the majority (though not all) men with Lp(a).

Why? I can only speculate that the gene(s) for Lp(a) are closely linked to gene(s) for intelligence of a quantitative kind and some factor that enhances aerobic performance or yields a desirable emotional state with exercise.

Oddly, the same patterns tend not to occur in women in Lp(a). I have yet to discern a personality or body configuration phenotype among the ladies.

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