Increased level of lipoprotein(a) predisposes to

Atherosclerosis Presence of lipoprotein (a) in blood in excessive amount increases the risk of coronary heart disease. This could possibly be due to the structural resemblance of this apolipoprotein with plasminogen. Because of close structural resemblance, LP(a) competes with plasminogen, thereby decreasing its conversion to plasmin. Reduced plasmin activity results in decreased dissolution of clots. This, in turn, increases the susceptibility of an individual to atherosclerosis.