Heart imaging to detect early heart disease in families with high cholesterol

This study is testing whether heart imaging scans can help detect early signs of heart disease in people who have high lipoprotein(a)—a type of cholesterol that runs in families and increases heart disease risk. You would receive two types of heart CT scans: one to measure calcium buildup in your arteries and another to check for plaque and narrowing. The researchers want to compare people with high versus low lipoprotein(a) to see if the imaging can catch disease earlier.

Many people don't know they have high lipoprotein(a) because it's not routinely checked and causes no symptoms on its own. Since it runs in families, relatives of affected patients are at higher risk—but doctors don't have clear guidance on how to screen for early heart disease in these families. This study aims to see if heart imaging could help catch problems before they become serious.