A standard cholesterol panel only tells part of the story. Our heart health panel adds advanced lipid markers like ApoB, Lp(a), and hs-CRP to give you a precise picture of cardiovascular risk — enabling prevention strategies that can reduce risk by up to 80%.
LDL cholesterol requires context of particle size, density, and oxidation status for accurate cardiovascular risk assessment. Small, dense, oxidized LDL particles pose the greatest risk.
Optimal Range
80 - 99.99 mg/dL
HDL cholesterol serves as a protective factor against cardiovascular disease through reverse cholesterol transport and anti-inflammatory effects. Optimal levels support cardiovascular health and metabolic function.
Optimal Range
55 - 93 mg/dL
Total cholesterol provides an overview of lipid status but must be interpreted alongside other markers like HDL, particle size, and inflammatory markers for accurate cardiovascular risk assessment.
Optimal Range
150-200 mg/dL
optimal <180 mg/dL
Triglycerides serve as a dynamic marker of carbohydrate metabolism and insulin sensitivity, responding rapidly to dietary and lifestyle interventions.
Optimal Range
<150 mg/dL standard
optimal <100 mg/dL
ideal <75 mg/dL
Non-HDL cholesterol measures all atherogenic lipoproteins, providing comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular risk beyond LDL alone.
Optimal Range
<130 mg/dL optimal
<160 mg/dL acceptable
represents total atherogenic cholesterol
The cholesterol/HDL ratio provides superior cardiovascular risk assessment by evaluating the balance between protective and atherogenic lipoproteins.
Optimal Range
<3.5 optimal
<5.0 acceptable
>5.0 high risk
Heart Health
Optimal Range
< 0 {ratio}
Heart Health
Optimal Range
0 - 2 {ratio}
Heart Health
Optimal Range
0 - 0.7 {ratio}
Heart Health
Optimal Range
0 - 3.5 {ratio}
Heart Health
Optimal Range
0 - 1.5 {ratio}
ApoB represents the number of atherogenic particles in the blood, providing superior cardiovascular risk assessment compared to traditional cholesterol measurements.
Optimal Range
40-90 mg/dL normal
<80 mg/dL optimal
<60 mg/dL for high cardiovascular risk
Heart Health
Optimal Range
> 1.2 {ratio}
Lipids
Optimal Range
0 - 15 mg/dL
Homocysteine is an independent cardiovascular and cognitive risk factor that reflects methylation status and B-vitamin adequacy.
Optimal Range
<7 μmol/L optimal
<10 μmol/L acceptable
>15 μmol/L significantly elevated
Lipoproteins
Optimal Range
120 - 160 mg/dL
Lp(a) is a genetically determined cardiovascular risk factor that provides permanent insight into inherited heart disease risk. Elevated levels require aggressive risk management.
Optimal Range
<30 mg/dL
optimal <20 mg/dL
Lipoproteins
Lipoproteins
Optimal Range
20.5 - 23 nm
Lipoproteins
Lipoproteins
Optimal Range
< 1000 nmol/L
Lipids
Optimal Range
< 40 U/L
Lipoproteins
Cardiovascular Risk
Optimal Range
< 123 nmol/min/mL
Lipoproteins
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally, responsible for approximately one third of all deaths each year. The vast majority of cardiac events — heart attacks and strokes — occur not because of sudden onset disease but because of atherosclerosis that has been silently progressing for decades. Arterial plaque begins accumulating in early adulthood and is substantially influenced by lipid levels, inflammation, metabolic status, and blood pressure throughout life.
A standard lipid panel measuring total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides provides an incomplete picture. Advanced cardiovascular markers — including ApoB, Lp(a), hs-CRP, and homocysteine — dramatically improve risk stratification and can identify high-risk individuals who would otherwise be missed. Studies consistently demonstrate that people with normal LDL-C but elevated ApoB or Lp(a) carry a significantly elevated cardiovascular event risk that targeted intervention can meaningfully reduce.
Heart health does not exist in isolation — it is deeply intertwined with every major system.
The liver is the central hub of lipid metabolism, producing VLDL particles that are remodelled into LDL, synthesising HDL precursors, and expressing LDL receptors that clear atherogenic particles from circulation. Insulin resistance reduces hepatic LDL receptor expression, allowing LDL to accumulate. The liver also produces ApoB — one molecule per atherogenic lipoprotein particle — making ApoB a direct count of cardiovascular risk particles. Statins lower cardiovascular risk primarily by upregulating hepatic LDL receptor expression.
Atherosclerosis is fundamentally an inflammatory disease. Oxidised LDL particles trigger endothelial activation, recruiting monocytes that differentiate into macrophages within the arterial wall. These macrophages engulf lipid and become foam cells — the building blocks of atherosclerotic plaque. hs-CRP reflects systemic inflammation driven by IL-6 from macrophages and adipose tissue, predicting plaque instability and rupture risk independently of lipid levels. Omega-3 fatty acids, statins, and lifestyle change all reduce cardiovascular risk partly through anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
Insulin resistance elevates triglycerides (by reducing lipoprotein lipase activity and increasing hepatic VLDL secretion), reduces HDL (by accelerating HDL catabolism), and produces the small, dense LDL particles that are most atherogenic. Diabetes doubles cardiovascular risk. Thyroid hormones regulate LDL receptor expression — hypothyroidism elevates LDL-C and Lp(a) and should always be excluded in people with hyperlipidaemia. Sex hormones influence cardiovascular risk: testosterone in physiological ranges supports vascular health; oestrogen maintains endothelial function and explains the lower pre-menopausal cardiovascular risk in women.
Chronic kidney disease is an independent and powerful risk factor for cardiovascular disease, approximately doubling cardiac event risk even at modest stages of kidney function decline. This relationship is bidirectional: hypertension and atherosclerosis cause kidney damage, and kidney disease drives fluid retention, uraemic toxin accumulation, and anaemia that stress the heart. Homocysteine, which damages endothelium and promotes clot formation, is cleared by the kidneys — CKD elevates homocysteine and accelerates cardiovascular risk.
Clinical Note
Cardiovascular risk should be assessed as an integrated score, not based on any single biomarker. Tools like the ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Equations, combined with ApoB, Lp(a), and hs-CRP, provide the most clinically actionable risk stratification. Always discuss results with a qualified clinician before initiating or modifying lipid-lowering therapy.
A comprehensive heart health panel goes beyond basic cholesterol and includes total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, ApoB (apolipoprotein B), Lp(a) (lipoprotein(a)), non-HDL cholesterol, hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), homocysteine, and the LDL particle size distribution. These markers together paint a far more accurate picture of cardiovascular risk than cholesterol alone.
Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) is a protein found on every atherogenic lipoprotein particle — including LDL, VLDL, IDL, and Lp(a). Because one ApoB molecule exists per particle, ApoB directly counts the number of particles capable of penetrating arterial walls. Studies show that ApoB outperforms LDL-C and non-HDL-C as a predictor of cardiovascular events, especially in people with metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance who may have normal LDL-C but elevated particle count.
Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a genetically determined lipoprotein that elevates cardiovascular risk independently of LDL cholesterol. Elevated Lp(a) affects roughly 20% of the population and is the most common inherited cause of premature heart disease. Unlike LDL, Lp(a) cannot be meaningfully lowered by lifestyle alone, making early knowledge essential for targeted statin therapy, aspirin consideration, and lifestyle risk reduction. Major cardiology guidelines now recommend testing Lp(a) at least once in every adult's life.
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) measures systemic inflammation, which plays a central role in the formation and rupture of arterial plaques. People with elevated hs-CRP (above 3 mg/L) have a 2–3× higher risk of heart attack compared to those with low levels, even when LDL cholesterol appears normal. The JUPITER trial demonstrated that statin therapy in people with elevated hs-CRP but normal LDL dramatically reduced cardiovascular events.
Adults should have a baseline cardiovascular panel by age 20 and every 5 years thereafter if results are normal. Annual testing is recommended for anyone with elevated risk factors — family history of early heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or existing elevated markers. People actively managing cardiovascular risk with medications or lifestyle interventions benefit from testing every 3–6 months to track progress.
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