Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) has long been regarded as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, however, its routine use in clinical practice has been hampered by difficulties inherent in the measurement of this complex lipoprotein. The major challenges relate to its size heterogeneity and related issues including 1) use of appropriate calibrators 2) standardisation of calibration protocols 3) traceability and 4) reporting units. In the UK, results from the current EQA schemes for Lp(a) suggest that there is considerable work required to standardise Lp(a) measurement. This is becoming increasingly pertinent with the increasing recognition of Lp(a) as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in international guidelines and the emergence of novel antisense therapies to effectively reduce Lp(a). This article raises awareness of the importance measurement of Lp(a) for the assessment of cardiovascular disease risk and gives guidance to clinical laboratories regarding choice of appropriate assays.

脂蛋白(a) (Lp(a)) 长期以来一直被认为是心血管疾病的危险因素，然而，它在临床实践中的常规应用一直受到这种复杂脂蛋白测量固有困难的阻碍。主要挑战涉及其尺寸异质性和相关问题，包括 1) 使用适当的校准器 2) 校准协议的标准化 3) 可追溯性和 4) 报告单位。在英国，当前 Lp(a) EQA 计划的结果表明，标准化 Lp(a) 测量需要做大量工作。随着国际指南中越来越多地认识到 Lp(a) 作为心血管疾病的独立危险因素，以及有效降低 Lp(a) 的新型反义疗法的出现，这一点变得越来越重要。