Apolipoprotein B

Overview:

Every particle that deposits cholesterol in artery walls, including LDL, carries exactly one apolipoprotein B molecule. Measuring apolipoprotein B therefore counts those particles, rather than measuring how much cholesterol they happen to contain. This distinction matters because two people with the same LDL cholesterol can carry very different particle numbers, and the particle count tracks cardiovascular risk more closely. It is particularly informative in people with high triglycerides, diabetes or metabolic syndrome, where standard LDL results can understate risk. Apolipoprotein B is increasingly used alongside a standard lipid panel rather than in place of it.

Categories:

Heart

Biomarkers:

1 biomarker