Generalized anxiety disorder and lipoprotein (a): A biomarker-based case–control analysis

Abstract

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) links to cardiovascular risk through inflammation and lipid dysregulation, yet lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) elevation and its relationship to anxiety severity remain underexplored. Therefore, it is of interest to measure the fasting serum Lp(a) via immunoturbidimetric assay in 100 GAD adults versus 100 matched controls, alongside Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) assessments and multivariable regression analysis. GAD patients showed significantly elevated Lp(a) (35.2 ± 9.8 mg/dL versus 21.5 ± 7.3 mg/dL; p < 0.0001), rising progressively from mild (30.1 ± 6.7 mg/dL) to moderate-severe anxiety (49.2 ± 10.2 mg/dL; p < 0.0001). HAM-A scores strongly correlated with Lp(a) (r = 0.64, p < 0.0001), with anxiety independently predicting levels after age/gender adjustment (β = 0.59, p < 0.0001). Thus, data shows that Lp(a) as a severity-linked biomarker connecting GAD pathophysiology to high cardiovascular risk, supporting its role in preventive monitoring.