Lp(a) gets ICD-10 Codes!

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In response to the Lipoprotein(a) Foundation’s 2017 application, two International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 10 codes have now been approved by the CDC for elevated lipoprotein(a). These ICD-10 Diagnosis codes will help identify the global population at risk for early heart attacks, strokes, aortic valve disease and peripheral vascular disease and death due to elevated lipoprotein(a) – “a genetic, sticky, fatty, lipoprotein particle in the blood.” They will encourage routine diagnosis, treatment, and family screening for elevated lipoprotein(a) before the first symptom, which may be death, while there is still time for prevention. Elevated lipoprotein(a) is a genetic condition. A simple lipoprotein(a) blood test once in a person's life is required to diagnose a patient. A healthcare provider cannot tell if a patient has elevated lipoprotein(a) by examining them.

The following codes will go into effect on October 1, 2018:

E78.41 Elevated lipoprotein(a)
Z83.430 Family history of elevated lipoprotein(a)

The need for new diagnostic codes was underscored in the article, “NHLBI Working Group Recommendations to Reduce Lipoprotein(a)-Mediated Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Aortic Stenosis,” published in the January 2018 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. In response to advocacy by The Lipoprotein(a) Foundation, the NHLBI convened a strategic task force meeting to better characterize the role of Lp(a) in CVD and calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD). "Without an ICD-10 code for the diagnosis of elevated Lp(a), clinicians have no way to document elevated Lp(a) levels, except with the use of a generic hypercholesterolemia code. The lack of an ICD-10 code also limits research on Lp(a) using electronic health records,” said Sotirios (Sam) Tsimikas, MD, Director, Vascular Medicine, University of California San Diego, lead author of the JACC paper and a member of the Lipoprotein(a) Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board.

"Importantly, more than 1 billion people globally have elevated levels of Lp(a). Convincing evidence has emerged from pathophysiological, epidemiological, and genetic studies that Lp(a) is causally related to both CVD, which includes myocardial infarction, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and heart failure, and CAVD. Emerging therapies designed to significantly lower Lp(a) levels will allow us to test the hypothesis that reducing Lp(a) will reduce the risk of CVD and CAVD,” noted Henry Ginsberg, MD, Irving Professor of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, and Chief Medical Officer for The Lipoprotein(a) Foundation.

Sandra Tremulis, founder and CEO of the Lipoprotein(a) Foundation stated, "The codes used include monitoring of the incidence and prevalence of diseases, observing reimbursements and resource allocation trends, and keeping track of safety and quality guidelines. They also include the counting of deaths as well as diseases, injuries, symptoms, reasons for encounter, factors that influence health status, and external causes of disease. We want to give families a preemptive strike against their genetic cardiovascular disease destiny and catch it early before it becomes disabling or a tragedy.”

Thank you Bob Harper for your support to get these codes...
 

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