ApoB Interpreter.
Apolipoprotein B counts every artery-clogging particle in one number — a better predictor of heart attack than LDL cholesterol when the two disagree. Enter yours to see your risk tier and target.
Why ApoB beats LDL cholesterol.
Every atherogenic lipoprotein — LDL, IDL, VLDL, and Lp(a) — carries exactly one apolipoprotein B molecule on its surface. So a single ApoB measurement is a direct headcount of the particles that drive a plaque into your artery wall. LDL cholesterol, by contrast, measures the cholesterol cargo inside those particles, which can vary widely per particle.
This matters when the two disagree (discordance). A person with small, dense LDL particles can have a "normal" LDL-C but a high particle count — and it is the particle count that tracks risk. Sniderman et al. (2019) showed ApoB is the superior predictor when LDL-C and ApoB diverge. Because atherosclerosis is cumulative and dose-dependent, the goal is "lower for longer," with no known floor of benefit.
- Sniderman AD, Thanassoulis G, Glavinovic T, et al. (2019). Apolipoprotein B particles and cardiovascular disease: a narrative review. JAMA Cardiology, 4(12), 1287–1295.
- Mach F, Baigent C, Catapano AL, et al. (2020). 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias. European Heart Journal, 41(1), 111–188.
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