Innovative Initiative Empowers Individuals to Identify the Risks of Elevated Lp(a) to Overall Cardiac Health

The Family Heart Foundation, a leading research and advocacy organization, announced a pivotal milestone in its FIND Lp(a)™ initiative designed to catalyze healthcare system screening of elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], a common yet underdiagnosed inherited risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Seven healthcare systems including Emory Healthcare, Indiana University Health, John Hopkins University, Medical University of South Carolina, OhioHealth, Stanford Health Care, and University of South Florida have joined the Family Heart Foundation as partners in the FIND Lp(a) Initiative.

The FIND Lp(a) initiative, with support from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, is part of the Family Heart Foundation’s innovative Flag, Identify, Network and Deliver™ Initiative. FIND harnesses the power of a machine learning model to flag individuals with existing cardiovascular disease who may be at increased risk of another heart attack or stroke due to unrecognized elevated Lp(a). Clinical care teams from several health systems have already initiated outreach of the flagged individuals encouraging them to have their Lp(a) level measured with a simple blood test.

“We are excited to be partnering with the Family Heart Foundation on FIND Lp(a) to help build awareness, increase testing and save lives,” said Julie Clary, MD, MBA, Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Medicine and clinical lead for the Indiana University Health FIND Lp(a) team. “Elevated Lp(a) affects one in five individuals, yet unfortunately, most of those individuals are undiagnosed. Not knowing you have a condition is not the same as not having that condition. Increasing awareness really does save lives.”

Incorporating new screening practices within complex healthcare systems can be challenging. FIND Lp(a)’s innovative and proactive approach addresses a missed opportunity to better understand cardiovascular risk. Each partner healthcare system is using customized strategies, guided by principles of implementation science, to encourage and support clinician engagement and patient follow up. Learnings are rapidly shared with other partner healthcare systems through a collaborative learning network. Individuals found to have elevated Lp(a), who might otherwise have remained undetected with current practices, are connected to clinical care teams to focus on comprehensive cardiovascular risk reduction and invited to join the Family Heart community for additional support.

“While elevated Lp(a) is a common and serious risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, fewer than 5% of individuals living with it are aware. The FIND Lp(a) initiative seeks to close this gap in diagnosis and appropriate care,” said Katherine Wilemon, founder and chief executive officer of the Family Heart Foundation. “The Family Heart Foundation and our health system partners are committed to leading the way in addressing elevated Lp(a) as the most common, yet under-diagnosed risk factor for early cardiovascular disease.”

For more information about the FIND Lp(a) initiative, please visit FamilyHeart.org/find-lpa.

About the Family Heart Foundation

The Family Heart Foundation is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization. The Foundation is a pioneer in the application of real-world evidence, patient-driven advocacy, and multi-stakeholder education to help prevent heart attacks and strokes caused by familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and elevated lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), two common genetic disorders that have an impact across generations. The Family Heart Foundation conducts innovative research to break down barriers to diagnosis and management of inherited lipid disorders; educates patients, providers, and policy makers; advocates for change; and provides hope and support for families impacted by heart disease and stroke caused by FH, HoFH, and elevated Lp(a). The organization was founded in 2011 as the FH Foundation. For more information, visit FamilyHeart.org and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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Family Heart Foundation's partnership with seven leading healthcare systems accelerates screening of high Lp(a) in people with cardiovascular disease who have been identified by the FIND Lp(a) initiative.