Get tested with Superpower

If you’ve been postponing blood testing for years or feel frustrated by doctor appointments and limited lab panels, you are not alone. Standard healthcare is often reactive, focusing on testing only after symptoms appear or leaving patients in the dark.

Superpower flips that approach. We give you full insight into your body with over 100 biomarkers, personalized action plans, long-term tracking, and answers to your questions, so you can stay ahead of any health issues.

With physician-reviewed results, CLIA-certified labs, and the option for at-home blood draws, Superpower is designed for people who want clarity, convenience, and real accountability - all in one place.

Key benefits of Lp(a) testing

• Reveals your inherited heart disease risk that diet and exercise can't change.
• Flags elevated cardiovascular risk even when standard cholesterol levels look normal.
• Guides aggressive prevention strategies if Lp(a) is high: statins, aspirin, or newer therapies.
• Explains early heart attacks or strokes in families with no obvious risk factors.
• Identifies candidates for emerging Lp(a)-lowering treatments now entering clinical use.
• Protects relatives by prompting family screening when elevated levels are found.
• Measured once in adulthood; levels stay stable and don't require repeat testing.

What is Lp(a)?

Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a particle in your blood that carries cholesterol and fats. It's made in the liver and consists of an LDL cholesterol core attached to a unique protein called apolipoprotein(a). Unlike other cholesterol carriers, your Lp(a) level is largely determined by your genes and stays relatively stable throughout life.

A cholesterol particle with a sticky personality

Lp(a) behaves differently from standard LDL cholesterol. Its structure allows it to promote inflammation and encourage clot formation in blood vessel walls. This makes it particularly prone to contributing to plaque buildup in arteries.

Your genes write the script

Because Lp(a) levels are inherited, they don't respond much to diet, exercise, or most cholesterol medications. Some people naturally produce very little, while others make high amounts from birth.

A hidden driver of heart risk

Elevated Lp(a) is an independent risk factor for heart disease and stroke, even when other cholesterol numbers look normal. It represents a distinct cardiovascular threat that standard lipid panels don't always capture.

Why is Lp(a) important?

Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a cholesterol-carrying particle that behaves differently from standard LDL cholesterol because it also promotes inflammation and blood clotting. Your Lp(a) level is largely determined by genetics and remains stable throughout life, making it an independent risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and aortic valve disease. Unlike other lipids, it doesn't respond much to diet or most medications, so knowing your level helps identify inherited cardiovascular risk that standard cholesterol panels miss.

When Lp(a) stays in the safe zone

Values below 30 mg/dL (or 75 nmol/L) are considered low risk and reflect a genetic advantage. People in this range face no added cardiovascular threat from Lp(a) itself. There are no symptoms associated with low levels, and no organ systems are negatively affected.

When Lp(a) climbs into the danger zone

Elevated Lp(a) - above 50 mg/dL or 125 nmol/L - significantly raises the risk of early heart disease, stroke, and calcific aortic stenosis, even when other cholesterol numbers look normal. High levels accelerate plaque buildup in arteries and increase clot formation. Women may face heightened risk during and after menopause when estrogen's protective effects wane.

The long view on inherited cardiovascular risk

Because Lp(a) is genetically fixed, a single measurement informs lifelong risk stratification. It connects lipid metabolism, inflammation, and thrombosis into one marker, guiding decisions about imaging, family screening, and intensity of preventive care across decades.

What do my Lp(a) results mean?

Low Lp(a) levels

Low values usually reflect favorable genetic inheritance. Lipoprotein(a) is largely determined by the LPA gene, and lower concentrations indicate reduced baseline cardiovascular risk related to this specific particle. There is no known physiological disadvantage to having low Lp(a), and no threshold below which harm occurs.

Optimal Lp(a) levels

Being in range suggests your genetically determined Lp(a) level does not add significant cardiovascular risk. Most guidelines consider values below 30 mg/dL or 75 nmol/L as desirable, though optimal is generally at the lower end. Lp(a) remains stable throughout adult life in most people, so a single measurement is often sufficient for long-term risk assessment.

High Lp(a) levels

High values usually reflect inherited elevation of this cholesterol-carrying particle, which behaves similarly to LDL but also promotes clotting and inflammation. Elevated Lp(a) independently increases risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, aortic stenosis, and thrombotic events. Levels above 50 mg/dL or 125 nmol/L are considered high risk. Unlike other lipids, Lp(a) does not respond meaningfully to diet or most standard lipid-lowering therapies.

Factors that influence Lp(a)

Lp(a) is minimally affected by lifestyle, fasting status, or most medications. It can rise modestly during acute inflammation, kidney disease, or menopause, and may fall slightly during estrogen therapy. Different assays report results in different units, so consistency in testing method aids interpretation over time.