ApoB (apolipoprotein B)

A count of the actual cholesterol-carrying particles that can lodge in your arteries — often a truer risk marker than LDL alone.

What it measures

The number of atherogenic (artery-clogging) particles in your blood: every LDL, VLDL and related particle carries exactly one ApoB protein, so ApoB counts them directly.

Why it matters

Two people can have the same LDL cholesterol but a very different number of particles. Because it is the particles that get into the artery wall, ApoB often predicts cardiovascular risk better than LDL — especially in metabolic disease.

Healthy target

Lower is better; commonly targeted below ~0.9 g/L for primary prevention, lower for higher-risk people. There is no single universal cut-off.

How to read your value

Read it alongside LDL, not instead of a clinician’s judgement. If ApoB is high while LDL looks “fine”, that discordance is exactly why ApoB is worth measuring.

What can affect it

• The same things that move LDL — diet, genetics, weight, activity
• Insulin resistance and high triglycerides raise particle number
• Lipid-lowering medication lowers it

Does the target differ by age or sex?

Same target for men and women; read together with your overall risk, which climbs with age.

When to talk to a clinician

Ask about ApoB if you have a family history of early heart disease, metabolic syndrome or diabetes, or a “normal” LDL but other risk factors.