Do you only need one Lp(a) test in your life?

Most blood markers are worth re-checking because they move — LDL, ApoB, blood sugar and blood pressure all respond to diet, exercise and medication. Lp(a) is different. It is largely genetic and remarkably stable across your life; in Attia's Lp(a) episode, the point is made that its level is essentially locked in early (gene expression is described as stable by around age five). Because it does not drift much, most people only need to measure it once.

That stability is exactly why the experts covering it argue everyone should get at least one Lp(a) test. It is common — roughly one in five people carries an elevated level, with meaningful variation by ancestry — and it is a strong, independent cardiovascular risk factor. Yet it is usually left off a standard cholesterol panel, so many people never learn their number unless they specifically ask. A single measurement can flag lifelong risk and has implications for family members, since it is inherited (though the pattern is heterogeneous enough that you cannot reliably predict your level from a parent's).

A couple of honest caveats. Assays report Lp(a) in different units (nmol/L is generally preferred over mg/dL), so results are not always directly comparable — worth noting when you get tested. And while "measure once" is the general rule, whether you need repeat testing depends on your clinical context, which is a conversation for your doctor. This page is educational synthesis of what these experts said on video, not medical advice.