Guidelines Urge Lipid Screening From Age 9, Adding Once-in-Life Lp(a) Tests
Updated
Updated · The Wire · Aug 8
Guidelines Urge Lipid Screening From Age 9, Adding Once-in-Life Lp(a) Tests
3 articles · Updated · The Wire · Aug 8
Summary
Universal screening should start at ages 9 to 11, with baseline lipid testing from age 19 and repeat checks at least every five years in adults, according to March 2026 dyslipidaemia guidelines.
Lp(a) should be measured at least once in all adults to uncover inherited cardiovascular risk, while ApoB testing is advised for higher-risk patients such as those with diabetes, high triglycerides or established heart disease.
The push reflects the scale of hidden risk: India records about 5,700 heart attacks a day, and cardiovascular disease causes roughly 2.8 million deaths a year, or 27% of all deaths.
The guidelines frame dyslipidaemia as a long-building driver of atherosclerosis, with elevated LDL and triglycerides silently promoting plaque buildup years before heart attacks or strokes appear.