LPA and atherosclerosis: Although circulating blood monocyte count above the median in our study was associated with peripheral atherosclerosis of only borderline significance (OR 1.8; 95% CI 0.9–3.3, p = 0.07), the combination of this parameter with higher Lp(a) levels ( ≥ 30 mg/dL) was observed almost three times more frequently in patients with peripheral atherosclerosis than in patients without atherosclerosis (27% vs. 10%, p < 0.01), indicating synergism between inflammatory and lipid factors.